A/N: I am kind of addicted to writing this, which is weird because I don't update that regularly and have no reviews. Oh well!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Emily's hair whipped in the wind as she stepped out onto the tarmac of the Costa Rican base. She was surrounded by uniformed men and women on both sides and she watched in admiration as they hustled into the military helicopters waiting for them. Her shirt immediately clung to the back of her neck with the increased humidity. She followed Hotch closely into one of the helicopters that was only half full and made room for the remaining soldiers.

Once everyone was strapped in, Sergeant Wimsley debriefed them on the situation. "Our satellite feed shows that our landing sequence should go through with no mishaps. No animal presence has been detected in the area over the last forty eight hours, but once these choppers land it may be a different story. Time for disembarkment is no longer than five minutes. That's no longer than five minutes, ladies and gentlemen. Once we land, stick to your respective groups. Agents Hotchner and Prentiss will be leading the A team, and B team will be with me and Mr. Tintin. We stay together, is that clear?"

The soldiers nodded in obedience along with Emily and Hotch. Hotch raised his hand. "What's our ETA?"

"Approximately twenty minutes." Wimsley checked his watch. "Once we're on the ground we'll have to establish a camp for the night. There's an abandoned water treatment plant three miles from the landing site that should be satisfactory."

Emily turned and watched Tintin shed his turtleneck, tucking it back into his backpack. The young man reached over and pulled out a body harness, slipping it on and strapping Snowy into it. He gave her a grin. "We don't want to be responsible for a six minute disembarkment time, do we boy?" The dog barked in agreement.

Hotch watched the two as the helicopter zipped across the pacific waters. The uneasy feeling hadn't gone away, but he doubted that it would until they were off the island. He saw Wimsley signalling him and he turned to the man. "Yes?"

"Once we land, B team will lead. My orders are to get you safely to the WTP, and I'll have the powerful ammunition." Wimsley gestured to the soldiers next to him. "Let my guys do their thing, then you can do your thing."

Hotch nodded. "We'll bring up the rear."

The pilot signalled that they were preparing to land and Emily's breath caught in her throat. The island was beautiful, with trees cascading on either side. She could see the trace of waterfalls on the cliff faces on the west side of the island, and she spotted birds flying across the horizon on the east side. As they moved closer, she realized that they were too large to be birds, and her eyes widened as the pilot navigated them away from the flock.

"Alright, we're down in T-minus sixty seconds. Prepare to land." Wimsley pointed the pilot towards a small, fenced-in landing base that was directly in front of them.

Hotch and Emily both unbuckled their seatbelts and strapped on their gear. Hotch gestured to their walkie talkies. "I'll be on channel two." Emily nodded and set hers to the same frequency.

As the helicopter touched down, the doors slid open and Emily could feel the heat hit her face. The humidity had to be almost ninety percent, and she wiped the perspiration from her forehead. She took a second to grab Hotch's arm and give it a squeeze. He turned to her and gave her a nod, his usual mask of professionalism coming over his face.

Once on the ground, the soldiers moved out quickly with everyone carrying some sort of survival gear. Wimsley kept them moving and helped unload the second and third helicopters as they landed next to the first. In less than five minutes they had everything out and the sergeant signalled for the helicopters to take off.

They were on their own.

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Emily followed Hotch closely as they moved through the thick brush. She had a male soldier following behind her closely, and one on either side of her. Everyone seemed to be in the same state of mind to get to safety. She could see Tintin and Wimsley not far ahead of her. The chirps and growls around her were extremely intimidating and she forced herself to shut them out.

"Hold up." Wimsley gestured for them to wait and the entire group stopped. He held up a small device. "InGen designed this a few years ago. It's affectionately known as the WingMan amongst the techies. It surveys a five square mile area for lower heat signatures as well as any existing embedded micro-chips in the animals that remain from the original park." He pointed to a red dot. "We're here. As you can see there are a few signatures to the north, but most of them are to the south of our position."

"Where are we in relation to the WTP?" Tintin asked.

"We're about a mile and a half away," Wimsley replied. He checked his watch. "If we keep the pace, we should reach the facility in about forty minutes. Let's stay focused people. Move out."

The soldiers took their formation and Emily picked up her pack, following Hotch once more. She would have to find a time to talk to him in private to figure out their plan of attack. They had no one to trust besides each other. She kept her eyes on the front of the group and moved forward with the rest of the group, her senses going into overdrive. She could hear Tintin trying to calm Snowy, who was cowering in the harness against his owner. Poor guy.

Eventually the group broke through the trees and came to a large clearing full of overgrown grass. A sign next to them indicated that it had once been designed as a picnic area. Hotch looked around as Wimsley used his binoculars to survey the area.

"I can see it about a hundred yards or so." Wimsley pointed to a domed building that Hotch had missed. It was completely covered in shrubs and overgrown vines. "Okay people, keep an eye out. Let's get in safely."

The group moved into the grass and Emily couldn't help but shake an uneasy feeling. She watched the men on either side of her closely as they fought through the field, and suddenly Wimsley heard a beeping come from his WingMan.

This was not good. The man didn't stop moving as he looked as the screen, but both Emily and Hotch could see that he was extremely nervous about what he was seeing. Emily caught sight of the screen and saw a myriad of red dots starting to move their way. Wimsley had moved into a full on run as the dots moved in on them and signalled for everyone to say quiet.

They hit the front door of the WTP and Hotch raced past Wimsley. He kicked the vines away and went for the handle, but it was locked. He could hear the beeps getting louder and louder as he struggled to get the door open, but with one powerful kick it swung open. Hotch ushered everyone inside as Wimsley made sure that the last soldier made it through the field. The two men ran inside and Hotch closed the door, barring it closed with an old table that Tintin had pulled out of the corner.

Emily put a hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's okay, we're in. We made it." He nodded to her and she dropped her hand. Outside the door she could hear grunting and snorting, and she peaked out one of the dirty windows. Her eyes widened and she tugged Hotch next to her and Tintin.

Making their way through the field was a herd of stegosaurs. Emily gasped as she saw the large plates protruding from their backs. Many of them were grazing on the tall grass as they went through, especially the younger ones. Snowy started growling and Tintin clamped a hand over his nose to keep the dog quiet. "Quiet boy, we don't want their attention."

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" The three turned to see Wimsley standing behind them. "Beautiful, but extremely dangerous."

Emily nodded. "How did they get here so fast?"

"Something might have spooked them." Wimsley leaned away from the window. "Whenever you're ready, come see me. We need to talk logistics for tomorrow."

"We're ready now," Emily said, and Hotch and Tintin nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's find an area. I saw an upstairs work area earlier when I was getting my people settled." Wimsley rustled in his bag and handed each of them an energy bar. "Keep your strength up."

None of them were very hungry, but no one argued and followed the man. Emily watched as the soldiers spread out, pushing the broken chairs and rusty tables to the edge of the room so that they could all find a place to sleep on the floor.

They climbed the stairs to a small room with a skylight. Wimsley pulled a map out of his bag. He pointed to a small circle. "We're here, approximately six miles from the medical facility where Maggie Coolidge is holed up. The unfortunate part is that it's smack dab in the middle of this." He held up the WingMan and pointed to a large red area that was blinking at them. "It's the most highly populated area of the island."

"So what do you propose?" Hotch asked.

"We can make it the first five miles no problem, but the last mile is where we have to be careful." Wimsley rubbed a hand across his chin, thinking. "We have our camouflage gear, but honestly any of these creatures will be able to smell us from more than a mile away if we come in upwind of them."

"What about sending in a smaller team?" Tintin suggested, pointing to a square on the map between the medical facility and the WTP. "It says this is a power station. How big is it?"

"It's not a mansion, but it's not an outhouse."

"If the majority of the team stays here and a smaller tactical team moves in, it'll minimize our chances of being attacked. We can stop at the station before we move on if we need to."

"I agree." Hotch nodded to Tintin. "A large group like this will be hard to disguise. We need to keep it small."

"You're right, but the smaller it is, the more susceptible it'll be to danger. You lose the ammunition power that's needed for a proper defense. Are you comfortable with that?"

"If we keep off of their radar, we'll be safer," Emily said, supporting Hotch and Tintin.

"So who are the lucky men and women that get to take the fall?"

"I'll go." Hotch turned to Emily and she nodded. "Agent Prentiss and I will lead."

"What about you, son?" Wimsley eyed Tintin and his dog.

"If you don't mind watching out for my pal Snowy here, I'll gladly accompany them."

The sergeant nodded. Hotch turned to the man. "Are you comfortable staying here and keeping an eye out for us?" He pointed to the WingMan and the maps. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"I think I can handle that." Wimsley pointed out the window to the lower level. "I'll send Private Jones and Private Cleveland with you. Jones was first in her class and Cleveland can outshoot any man I know."

"We'll leave first thing in the morning." Hotch could feel the tug of fatigue looming over him. "We'll debrief Jones and Cleveland and then get some rest."

As they left the room, Emily pulled Hotch aside. "We'll catch up." Wimsley nodded and followed Tintin down the stairs.

"What is it?" Hotch raised an eyebrow as Emily pulled him back into the room.

"How much do you trust him?"

"Who? Wimsley?" Hotch though on it. "Well, at this point we don't have much choice. The only other person I trust is standing with me in this room, and we won't get very far tomorrow if we start doubting him."

"I know." Emily let out a breath. "I'm thinking that one of us should stay here to keep an eye on things, but I'm not letting you go out there alone."

"We're stronger together." Hotch looked up to the skylight. "Come on, it's getting dark." He unwrapped his energy bar and took a bite of it, letting her lead the way.

They chewed on their snacks as they joined Tintin and Wimsley and the two soldiers that would be accompanying them. Wimsley nodded to them as they approached. "I've just finished filling them in on the plan for tomorrow."

Private Jones held out her hand to Hotch and he shook it. She was an attractive woman with piercing green eyes and blonde hair that was tied up neatly into a functional ponytail. "Agents, a pleasure."

"Likewise." Hotch shook Private Cleveland's hand too. "Any questions?"

"No sir." Cleveland was a young man, slightly older than Tintin but definitely not a day over thirty. His dark brown hair was buzzed short. "We'll follow your lead."

Hotch nodded. "We'll convene in the morning at first light. If you'll excuse us, Prentiss and I are going to get some rest."

Jones smiled at the two. "I suppose we should take advantage while we can."

"We all need to keep a clear head tomorrow," Emily said. She smiled at the two and picked up her bag and followed Hotch to an unoccupied corner of the WTP. "Where do you think the actual treating of water took place? This floor is pretty empty."

"I saw a door earlier when we came in." Hotch unrolled his bed pad. It was thin, but would save his back from the injustice of the concrete floor. "I'm assuming there's a sublevel where they keep the tanks."

"Makes sense." Emily laid out her own bed pad next to his, leaving a few feet of space. She stifled a yawn and pulled out a facial wipe to clean the dirt from her hairline. She held the package out to Hotch and he accepted it gratefully. "The one thing I can't leave home without."

He scrubbed his face and tossed the used wipe in a garbage can full of old candy wrappers. Taking out his jacket he rolled it up into a makeshift pillow and stretched out. "It's practically the Four Seasons."

Emily laughed and lay down next to him, pulling her hair from its ponytail. Her dark hair cascaded down past her shoulders. "I think it beats the Four Seasons."

Hotch smirked and turned to her. "I meant to tell you before, I like it longer. Your hair, I mean."

"Oh, thanks." Emily smiled at him. She missed this. They were always great friends, and there were many nights that she had sat up with him to talk when neither of them could sleep during a case. Lying next to him now was almost bittersweet, but she wouldn't trade it for the world. "I keep meaning to cut it, but I haven't had the time."

"Don't." Hotch shifted his eyes to hers. "I mean, it's your hair. But it looks nice."

"I'll think about it." She winked at him. The light started to fade around them and Emily gave him one last smile. "We should get some rest." She turned onto her back and closed her eyes.

Hotch stared at her another moment before following suit. They had a long day ahead of them.

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Hotch was the first one to wake. It was still dark in the building, and he could feel a warm body next to him. Well, 'next' was a pretty loose term.

Emily was completely wrapped around him, fast asleep. His eyes widened as his brain cleared, and he realized that it would be difficult to move without waking her. He lifted his left arm and illuminated his watch. The time read barely past four a.m. Costa Rican time, and the sun wouldn't be up for over an hour.

He took a deep breath. She was rubbing her cheek against his chest and he closed his eyes to try and focus on something else. The fact that she was causing a reaction from him was unsettling to him. She murmured something unintelligible and unconsciously released his shirt, but didn't move away from him. He released the air he was holding and covered her up with her jacket that had fallen between them.

There was no way that he would be falling back asleep now. He watched her as she slept, taking in the way her long, dark eyelashes fell onto her cheek. A sliver of guilt started to build up, but he couldn't look away from her.

Something cried out in the darkness, and it was enough to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open and met his immediately. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and the frown eased from her face. "Hotch?" She took in their close proximity. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I maul you in my sleep?"

"Now I know why JJ used to complain." He sat up, giving her some room. "It's fine."

Emily was embarrassed. She had spooned her former supervisor and love interest, a man that she was about to risk her neck with to save a complete stranger. But, such was life. "I thought I'd stopped it, but it's been awhile since I shared a bed." Her eyes widened at her admittance. "I mean-"

"Emily, it's fine." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Honestly, no harm done."

She nodded. "What time is it?"

"It's still early." His stomach grumbled and he looked down. "Not early enough for breakfast, apparently."

She sat up and dug in her bag, handing him a granola bar and a package of beef jerky. "Here, I hoarded the supply on the plane earlier."

"We can share." Hotch split the granola bar in half and handed the rest to her. He opened the package of beef jerky and set it between them. They ate quietly, occasionally taking sips from their canteens.

Emily shook her canteen. "I have about half of this left and a full CamelBak."

"Fill it up before we leave just in case. Johnson and Anderson were carrying the water the last I heard."

"Alright." Emily wiped her mouth. "I think I'm finished."

Hotch nodded and wrapped up the last of the jerky, sticking it in his bag. He noticed that Cleveland and Jones were awake and starting to prepare. "Let's pack up."

They both repacked their things quietly, letting the tension ease away. Emily handed Hotch a stick of gum from her pack, and he graciously accepted. They both stood up and waved at Tintin across the room, who was speaking to Sergeant Wimsley. Emily took a moment to refill her canteen before walking over to join Hotch and the two other men.

As they got closer, Emily could hear the young man consoling his dog. "You'll be okay here, boy. They'll take good care of you." Snowy whimpered and accepted the pats his owner gave him.

"I won't let him out of my sight, Mr. Tintin." Wimsley turned to Emily as she approached. "All set?"

"I think so." Emily gave both men a brief, professional smile as she stood next to Hotch. "When can we head out?"

Wimsley pointed to a large skylight in the ceiling where a sliver of light was starting to sneak through. "Looks like the sun's just about up. Twenty minutes should do it." He lifted a rifle off of the table next to him. "We'll do a quick survey to make sure you'll be on your way safely." He gestured to two soldiers next to him that were awake and the three of them moved the table that was barring the door aside.

"Agents." Private Jones came up behind them with Private Cleveland following closely. "We're ready when you are." Both were carrying two pistols and matching rifles.

"When we get the go ahead, we'll be off." Hotch pointed to the door. "Your radios are in order?"

Cleveland nodded. "We're at about eighty percent. It'll get us through today at the very least. I have a couple of spare batteries if we need them."

The five of them waited, and soon Wimsley returned from his sweep. "Nothing on the immediate perimeter." He handed a WingMan to Hotch. "I rustled this up from one of the boys just in case you need it."

Hotch tucked the device into his pocket and turned to Emily. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Let's go." The five of them walked to the front entrance and checked their radios were coming through with Wimsley before moving out. Emily heard the table slide against the door as they stood outside surveying their route.

"We need to head southeast." Hotch saw the sun peeking out through the horizon. He programmed the coordinates for the power station into his GPS. "We'll take a break at the station and camp there if need be for the night. Stick together." He directed the last statement towards Cleveland and Jones, and they both nodded in agreement. "I'll lead, you two bring up the rear. Prentiss and Tintin, keep your eyes out for any animal activity."

"I won't miss a thing." Tintin stood up straight, hitching his pack up against him and tying it on tightly.

"Let's move out."