BAU Conference room
JJ and Penelope walk in the conference room recapping their weekend.
"She's been flying in almost every weekend with binders full of women."
"What" JJ said "binders?"
"Yes, JJ binders of eligible bachelorettes in the DC area. Jax always said she loved me like a daughter – I didn't believe it until she took me shopping – which was weird. She said I could finally wear nice clothes because I was at least a large at Lord & Taylor—I was like honey I'm an 8. Haven't been that size since high school and all I want is a pair of leather pants for karaoke."
"The gasp was heard throughout DC—it was weird though when I found the perfect pair she bought them and a few FBI outfits as if I was going back to school."
"If she was my mom I would've had an eating disorder at 6." JJ retorted.
"She does treat you like a daughter" Reid chimed in as they sat in their seats.
"Yeah, step-daughter"
They continued their banter—It was so good to have JJ back. Garcia was on cloud 9.
As Jordan presented her last case – Derek thought about Penelope. She was looking happy again. Since she never sat facing him, this was his only real chance to look at her. He assumed that when they broke up she would return to her fiancé. I mean all the signs pointed in that direction but instead, she is here and single. What other reason could she have had to do whatever she did? Sometimes he couldn't even remember what she did. His mind always played back that morning she came to his house, he wanted to comfort her and tell her they could try again, but he could not see past his pain or insecurity. He couldn't even speak, he was caught so off guard by her declaration. Now she sits across the room and never looks his way. They do small talk here and there, but she is so cold and removed – when she's talking to anyone else, she lights up. Sometimes he feels so jealous of what her and Reid have- sometimes it seems romantic. He can't remember how he got here, but he wishes he could go back.
Jordan – he felt so bad for her – because she seemed to just be waiting for him. He told her, he wanted to take it slow but the train can't seem to leave the station. I don't have a problem performing—I just don't want to, he thought. With time, he assumed the feeling would pass, but my heart won't let me get back on the horse. He knew he should stop wasting her time.
Rossi watched Morgan look at Penelope this morning, as he did every morning. It was as if Derek thought he was invisible. He would chat with Jordan until it was time to present the case and then it became the Garcia show. He never understood why they broke up. You could tell she wasn't into her ex—but once Derek got a bug in his bonnet - it was in. It's sad to see two people who want the same thing runaway from it. Too stubborn for their own good, he thought.
"I got a call from Tennessee State police about a child pornography video produced by the Libertarians for Christianity. The leader is Benjamin Cyrus. Cyrus and his group are on the hook for tax evasion—they're an anti-government group who hides behind the church." Jordan continues "The locals would like us to interview the children and put a program on their server to monitor for suspicious activity."
"Libertarians aren't all anti-government—they're for small government. This group gives us a bad name." Penelope stated.
"Us?" Hotch asked with a smile
"Kitten is a rebel—an anti -government rebel working for the government," Rossi joked.
"Garcia, can you create a program like that for them?" Jordan asked getting the team back to business.
"Sure, it would take me about 2 hours"
"Ok, Garcia, Reid, and Jordan you should be on the plane by 1:30pm" Hotch replied.
Libertarians for Christianity Compound
"Benjamin Cyrus, will meet us in front of the school and escort us in" explains Cheryl the local Police Department contact "Maybe you could identify yourselves as Child Victim Interview Experts and use your real names. They are libertarians and we don't want to spook them."
"That sounds fine" Jordan replied—"Let's leave our guns and credentials in the car."
"Ok, I will check out the computers and upload the program to the server. Once that is done, I will meet you down at the school."
As they exited the car, Penelope felt like she was in an episode of Little House on the Prairie. They had modern amenities like solar panels, computers, and digital cameras but they dressed like Laura Ingles. Bill, Cyrus's second in command, escorted her to the computer room. She wore her best Scully outfit—trench coat, blue button down, navy skirt, and sensible shoes—Reid and Jordan didn't recognize her at the elevator. She believed in dressing for the occasion—FBI road trip via the Jet. She installed the software under the pretense of looking for where the video was uploaded. Once that was done, he walked her down to Reid and Jordan.
"How many more children do we have left?" Penelope asked.
"6 more," Reid replied.
"Great, I'll give Hotch an update." Jordan said, as she went outside. She had to walk a few yards for a good signal and that is when the State Swat team blew past her. Cyrus ran into the school with automatic rifles and asked them "Is there anything you want to tell me about a raid?"
Reid and Garcia were surprised by the question and said they didn't know anything about a raid. Cyrus believed them and brought them to safety in the basement with the women and children. Garcia became nervous and Reid reminded her that they would be out and at the BAU within an hour.
BAU
Emily grabs Morgan from the kitchen and points to the TV, in the bullpen.
"That's not the place Penelope, Reid and Jordan are—is it?"
"Hotch" he called like a quarterback in the bullpen.
"Penelope, Reid, and Todd" he said as he gestured to the TV.
In the plane flying to Tennessee, Hotch asked Jordan to explain what happened. She explain how the DA who is running for governor next election thought it would be safe to serve a warrant while the children were being interviewed in school—he thought the children would be out of harms way. He did this to show his constituents that he is hard on gun control and child abuse.
"How did you get out?" Derek asked
"I left to call Hotch and Swat rolled in," she replied.
"Did we not check with the ATF and the Governor's office about this? How did we not know about the warrant?" JJ asked.
"I did JJ, but they did not have any record because this was a mission the State Attorney General created." She replied
"They are armed though— Garcia doesn't have as much training as Reid but at least they can protect themselves," Derek said.
"Actually, we identified ourselves as Child Victim Interview Expert- and left our guns and badges in the car," Jordan stated.
"They are like sitting ducks," Rossi said.
Basecamp
When Hotch arrives to basecamp, he reams the State Attorney General- "Your actions today may have put an agent's life endanger. Get out of here this is an FBI case now."
Basecamp is a tented area that the local FBI team set-up. It has the compound schematics, walkies, hearing devices, cameras, and all the tools and gadgets the FBI needs to execute the recovery and rescue of all the people on the compound. The main table has headsets for the entire team to listen to what is going on, in the compound, once the bugs are placed inside.
Cyrus's clan was able to make SWAT retreat. Hotch created and reviewed his plan with the team.
"Rossi, you are going to negotiate—you were there for Waco and Utah – I trust your experience."
"Morgan and Emily, you're on tactile – we are going to have to go in - and you are going to figure out the safest way."
"Lynch, I need you to find the specs of this compound."
" JJ and Jordan, they are watching" pointing to the helicopters "so let's try and control this story and monitor it."
"We have to try and get ears and eyes in there – I'll call Cyrus and offer supplies and food for the wounded and children. Let's start bugging the supplies," Rossi said. Within the first hour Rossi made contact with Cyrus and brought them food and supplies for their wounded—with hidden listening devices.
An hour later, the team hears JJ call out "Guys. This isn't good"
On the television, the newscaster states, "there is an FBI agent in the compound – we don't know why- or how -but we just got word from the State Department that an FBI agent is in the compound. We will update you as this story develops."
The team hustles to communications table – which has the headphones linked via UVF waves to the bugs they just placed in the supplies. They race to put on their headphones because they need to know if Cyrus knows there is an FBI agent in their midst.
As they put on their headphones, they hear Cyrus ask, "Which one of you is it?"
Reid and Garcia both look up questioningly.
"Which one of you is an FBI agent?"
"I don't understand - Why do you think one of us is an FBI agent?" Reid replied
"I don't want to ask again—Who is it?"
"I don't understand" Reid said
"God, forgive me for what I must do" he says as he cocks a gun at Reid's head
"Who is the agent?" Cyrus asked again
"Me" Penelope says, "I am the FBI agent."
Derek and Hotch say simultaneously "We have to get her out of there."
"Ohmigod," she screams as he drags her by her hair into another room.
Derek cringes—"we have to get her."
Cyrus begins to unleash a hellish beating on Penelope -He slaps her so hard she slams into the wall and then he back slaps her and knocks her into the supplies. Get up heathen he screams. He slaps her with such a force that makes her gasp for air. Once she catches, her breathe he knocks her off balance and she lands on the floor. She lets out a painful moan and he kicks her in the stomach. The team can hear the wind being knocked out of her and they cringe at each whimper.
"Hotch we have to stop this – we have to get in there." Derek growled
"But then we jeopardize everyone's life," Rossi countered.
She tries to get up and he slaps her again so hard that she flies into a mirror, which shatters on impact. She can taste the blood in her mouth. "Oh my god" she cries out "but, I can take it."
"What," Cyrus says and this time he punches her in face.
"I can take it." She repeats.
"Jesus said do not spare the rod, the rod makes him stand taller" he slaps her again an pushes her into the glass.
She falls "I can take it" she says as she get's up
"Why is she antagonizing him like that?" Derek asked covering his face in disbelief. He can't bear to listen to any more.
"Wait, she is talking to us - telling us not to come in," Emily said.
"How would she know to do that?" Derek asked
"Reid has been walking her through old case and agent techniques"
"Why?" Derek asked
"Because he is Reid and thinks that is how you impress the ladies." Emily said sarcastically.
"That will prove to be helpful for us" Hotch thought allowed.
"Take her upstairs and tier her up." Cyrus told Bill.
They noticed that they could still hear her walking.
"She took one of the bugs with her," Rossi said impressed.
As Bill tied her up she—he looked over at her and saw her bright pink bra coming out of her tank top.
"Pink" he said, "I was kinda hopin' for blue. It would look so much better against your skin."
"Why is he still in there," Derek asked nervously – he knew why Bill was still in there.
"Do your panties match?" Bill asked.
"Jesus," JJ said, "he's not going to.."
"Hotch! Now!" Derek ordered his boss.
"Please" Penelope pleaded.
"You will be begging for it soon."
"That mouth" he said as he touched her lips
He started to unbutton her shirt and he kissed the top of her breast.
As soon as Derek heard the first kiss, he punched the table as hard as he could.
"We need to execute the plan, Morgan." Hotch reminded him.
"Would you be out here, if Haley was in there Hotch? We have to get her out—she isn't trained for this and this is going to damage her."
"Stop, I'm an FBI-" Penelope said when she was interrupted by-
"Billy what are you doing?" asked one the mothers from the compound.
"I'm securing her—"
"She looks pretty secure to me – leave her be. Cyrus is looking for you".
When Billy left the room, she asked the mother to please button back up her shirt.
"I'm Anne, Rachel's mom."
"I wish you didn't lie to Cyrus—he hates lies," She said as she cleaned up her face "he said the Devil was coming" referring to Penelope.
"This may sting a bit."
Prentiss walked over to a pacing Morgan. "You have to pull yourself together. She is fine. She will be fine."
"He touched her Emily—He was going to," he said trailing off
"But he didn't and he won't. We will get them out. I need you to be focused."
"I don't know what I would do if anything—" he trailed off as a tear slid down his face.
She hugged him and rubbed his back and said "Come on let's get them out of there."
When he arrived to the table he began to apologize to Hotch and Hotch said it isn't necessary.
Jordan reached for his hand because he was in such pain and he pulled away.
Penelope was brought downstairs for a meeting in the chapel. The room was filled with all of the followers. She saw Reid and made her way over to him. He could not believe her face. "It's not as bad as it looks… You've seen me far worse than this Spence, believe me you have."
"How are you?"
"Despite this experience, I'm still a libertarian. I think I may have connected with someone – the woman who brought me down here - her name is Anna – I think she placed the call to the local police department."
"I overheard them upstairs discussing laying out explosives," she continued.
"I snagged this," she says passing him a bug "maybe we can get word to them. They said they will set them off Wednesday morning."
"We'll need to get the women and the children to the tunnels for a safe exit." Reid explained.
"Let me know the time via Anna."
When she was returned to her room, she laid there tied to a bed. She was so scared that Bill would come back that she did not sleep. The next time someone came through her door it was Anna to give her some breakfast—When Anna asked Penelope about her three kids she was confused. Anna said Reid told her that Penelope's 3 boys Aaron, Derek, and David were watching the TV and having nightmares."
She knew from that cryptic message that they were coming tonight at 3 am.
She explained the situation to Anna at her next meal and tried to make her an ally but she couldn't believe that Cyrus was going to blow them all up. Penelope challenged her to look for explosives. If you see them please let me help you keep the children safe.
At dinnertime, Anna saw Bill laying out explosives and ran to Penelope for help. She sent her to Reid who devised a plan to get the women and children out by 3 am. When Anna went to get her at 230 in the morning – Bill stopped her and brought her to the chapel. Cyrus wants to talk to her he explained to Anna. He grabbed her and pushed her towards the chapel. As she entered, Cyrus said, "Heathen, we want to give you a front row seat."
I am so glad i figured out how to make this line!
Thank you for reading- apologies for typos and grammar.
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