I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long I swear! Thanks again to Bobby Taylor for helping me with this, go check out their stories!


Chapter 16

"We better hope so." Hotch stated, then moved forwards into the foreboding darkness.

The white lights were placed at random intervals down the tunnel so some parts were lit up more than others. Because of this, the team moved swiftly but in silence so if anyone who was coming down the tunnel towards them so much as breathed they'd know.

"Reid," JJ looked at the younger man, "Do you have any idea how much further it will be?"

"By my calculations it shouldn't be any further than a half mile." His eyebrows knotted together as the cogs in his brain worked it out. Garcia breathed a sigh of relief – soon they'd be back at the Prentiss Manor and could put this brutal place behind them.

Hotch, who was leading the group, signaled for everyone to stop as he peeked his head round a corner in the tunnel.

"Clear." He said as he stepped around the turn into a large-ish room, followed by everyone else.

"Okay, no one move any further forwards," Emily cautioned, "If I know my dad well, there's something off in here."

"Hold on," Ambassador Prentiss spoke with a frown, "I think I know this place."

"Do you remember anything?" Rossi asked, but she shook her head.

"I'm not sure. I know I recognize the place, but all I can remember is red flashing lights."

"Wait a second." Emily said, "No way…" She shook her head, her eyes wide.

"What is it?" JJ asked the brunette, worried for what might be ahead.

"Let me just…" Emily walked to the side and began looking at the walls.

"Prentiss, what is it?" Hotch requested as the woman reached up to what appeared to be a switch and dimmed the lights.

"No way, man." Morgan spoke darkly, his eyes flashing. Red lasers filled the room, much the same as before – only this time they were moving.

"I knew I recognized this place." Emily sounded defeated. "Dad made me do it before, and now I have to do it again."

"Hold up." Morgan held up his hand to halt her in her movements, "No way are you doing this, Em. Either someone else does it, or we find a way to turn it off."

"Yeah, Em. You may have done it before, but that was a long time ago, and you're hurt this time round – that'll make things a lot harder.

"Don't you get it?" The brunette looked up at them, "None of you guys know the sequence, and we don't have enough time to find an off switch - if there is one – because my dad and his men could come up here any minute. As soon as someone see's those guards we'll be dead within ten minutes. We've gotten off easy up until now, but we've made him angry and he'll kill us on the spot, so we can either spend our time arguing about this, or getting ourselves out of here." Silence reigned for a few moments.

"I agree." Hotch said quietly.

"What?" Morgan rounded on him.

"Look, I'm about as happy with it as you are, but it is the lesser of two evils." The room fell silent for a moment, no one disagreeing with what Hotch pointed out.

"So you've done this before?" Reid looked at Emily, who nodded, "So you know what the order is?"

"The last time I did it was a while ago, but I'm 95% sure of it." Her eyes flashed dark for a second as she recounted unwelcome memories of her childhood.

"Be safe." Her mother said simply, not needing any more words to get her point across. Emily sent them a tight-lipped smile as she turned away towards the crimson, flashing lasers zipping across the room in what appeared to be a random fashion, although Emily knew had some sort of order.

She tried to push the pain that she was feeling to the back of her mind so she could focus on getting through the dancing lasers unscathed. The brunette took a deep breath to calm herself and moved as far forwards as she could to the lasers without getting caught in them. She waited for the closest one to zip past her a couple of times, then as soon as it moved away from her again she jumped in quickly and dropped low on the ground in a press-up position where she knew the lasers didn't touch. Emily gritted her teeth as the pressure put strain on her injuries, but pushed it as far back in her mind as possible. She grunted as she used her arms to push up and jumped over the next laser, but ducked low at the same time as another shot over her head.

The team watched apprehensively as their beloved friend darted between the minefield of lasers. They felt that they needed to shout encouragement, but didn't in fear that it would knock Prentiss' concentration.

Across the room Emily hesitated where she was standing as she realized that she wasn't sure what came next in the sequence. The flashing lights were increasing the intensity of the throbbing in her head and she was no longer sure of herself. The agent took a huge leap forwards as she spotted an opening. When a laser came dangerously close she braced herself with her hands covering her head, but no shot came.

The team breathed out a sigh of relief when she slowly lowered her arms and looked about herself for the next part of her sequence. Thankfully, she had some form of recollection at the next part of the sequence, although she knew she wasn't going to like it. There was only a split second for her to land between the next jump and the one following.

"What is she doing?" JJ asked no one in particular without taking her eyes off of her brunette friend.

"Oh God…" Elizabeth trailed off, knowing what was coming next. Before JJ had a chance to ask Emily took a huge leap forwards, hopped over another laser as soon as she landed, then pushed off of the ground as hard as she could for momentum, somersaulting into the air and over the last laser. Emily faintly recognized a gunshot reverberating around the room whilst she was mid-air, followed by a chorus of shouts from her friends.

"Emily!"


Another cliffhanger *Face palm* Dear me. My bad;) You'd better review now to get the next chapter up as quickly as possible!