Chapter 12
Emily sat with the team in the round table room, reviewing the satellite images of the horse ranch. The location of the farm made approaching it difficult. The stable area where they believed JJ was being held was in the centre of the property; security was high-end, and they needed to be as covert as possible; otherwise, they could kill JJ before they got close enough to save her.
Smiling, "Can you three ride?" Zehira asked Emily, Ashley and Hotch
They all nodded as they could, and Ashley smiled. "Horse country, four riders out riding will not raise suspicion as a convoy of black government SUVs would. I like the way you think," smiled Ashley
Erin Strauss-Jareau escorted two unknown people into the round table room. "This is David Britteny and Racheal Spiers. They have worked with Jennifer," She introduced her companions.
Without hesitation or waiting to be introduced to the others, Racheal handed a memory stick to Penelope. "Blueprints of the farm and security system, Penelope. Could you put them up on the screen, please," Racheal asked.
Penelope smiled, took the offered stick, and diligently complied; the usually curious analyst remained silent, not questioning the two new team members. She was focused on getting her Blonde friend back. She wanted to….no need to apologise for what she had done to her. Even the pinstripe pantsuit she was modelling didn't bother the technicolour analyst. She wanted her friend back safe and sound without any other body parts missing. Only then would she consider giving her a piece of her mind for hiding so much from her.
"How sure are we about these?" Emily asked David and Racheal.
"Very, Six and the CIA had an asset in place until recently. Unfortunately for us, he died in a road traffic collision. A drunk driver side-swiped him into the opposite lane before a semi, but he just couldn't stop in time. He died instantly. Their good Agent Prentiss," David replied
EJ
Benesh Akhtar looked down at the shaking form of Jennifer Strauss-Jareau on the stable floor. The shaking woman dressed only in her underwear was shivering uncontrollably. They had regularly sprayed her with cold water to keep her manageable. Benesh was not complacent with her. She was well aware of how deadly this woman could be. The knife wound in her thigh looked like it was becoming infected. The skin was almost glowing.
Removing the cover from the needle, Benesh rolled the shivering woman on her side and plunged the syringe into her buttock, ensuring she hit Jennifer's sciatic nerve, displeased when the shivering blonde woman only groaned a little.
"Argh!" screamed Jennifer as Benesh Akhtar pushed her foot down on her injured thigh.
"What, no thank you, Benesh, for giving me some antibiotics?" Benesh smirked devilishly, increasing the pressure to the thigh.
"Arghh! Thank you for my injection, Benesh," JJ managed as she fought the excruciating pain.
Finally getting the response she needed, she removed her foot.
"Get her back into her chair and strap her down," ordered Benesh over her shoulder as she departed.
EJ
Derek, Rossi, and Alex are staying here and working with Penelope. I can't let you risk your career. What we are about to do is not officially sanctioned," Emily told her friends, knowing precisely what each person's response would be. She wanted to allow them to step away without feeling guilty.
"Not a chance, Emily Prentiss; I am going…." Morgan responded you didn't need to be a profiler in the elite unit to recognise the guilt contained in his voice
"I'm coming," replied Alex Blake
"Count me in; I feel like a big ass. I treated her….. abhorrently. This old man needs to help get her back safely," Replied the conscience-stricken man.
Emily placed her hand on Dave's shoulder. "She had us all fooled. Dave, Erin, and Jennifer did a masterful job alienating us all. Trust me, until Mother and Erin told me the truth, I hated her for what I thought she had accomplished. I got to deck her at least," smirked Emily, trying to lighten the moment
Rossi appreciated what she was trying to do, but the profiler looked at Erin Strauss-Jareau holding her daughter. Guilt was all the author could feel.
"What about me?" Spencer asked from the door
Receiving a scathing glare from Emily and Ashley, the genius gulped, knowing he had a lot to do to regain the trust of his…. possible girlfriend and Emily again.
"Dr Reid, I think it might be advisable to stay here at Quantico and help Miss Garcia," suggested Elizabeth Prentiss.
Unable to hide his disappointment, Spencer took a seat around the table. Erin looked at the pitiful sight of her dejected agent taking pity on him, still unsure how she felt about his recent actions.
"Spencer, you can't leave Quantico. You are not cleared for field duty or to carry a service weapon. You failed your weapons proficiency check. Remember that it is all above board and legal. sorry, Spencer." Erin Strauss-Jareau told her agent, surprising the remaining BAU team members. Erin took hold of Reids' hand. "Jenny won't blame you for what you did, Spencer; you were protecting Ashley. Jennifer is very protective of Yasmin and me; talk to her when we get her back and tell her why you told Barnes. She will understand; I can't promise you about her not causing you damage, though," smiled Erin
Elizabeth Prentiss was pleased for her lifelong friend. She finally allowed her true caring self to show to her team.
Spencer glanced across at Emily first and then lingered on Ashley. "I think JJ might have to get in line, Ma'am,"
"Thank you all for this; people are doing covert surveillance to firm things up. Please be careful; Jenny nor I would want anyone to get hurt while rescuing her," Erin emotionally told her team, thankful for their help.
Emily hugged Erin, leaned into Yasmin, and whispered something to her before she kissed her forehead.
"I will bring her back, Erin; you have my word," Emily told her as she departed.
EJ
Linda Barnes lay handcuffed and blindfolded in the back of a pick-up. She had been dragged from the stables and unceremoniously dumped into a waiting vehicle. For the last hour, she listened while three men dug her grave. Her grave diggers had taken great pleasure in taunting her at every opportunity cocking their weapons and dry-firing them next to her ear.
"Finished; let's get it done,"
Two men lowered the tailgate and dragged Barnes out by her feet, letting the FBI agent drop to the floor with a thump and laughing at the groan emitted as she hit the ground. They dragged the struggling woman for a few feet and removed Linda Barnes's blindfold.
"No, please don't kill me," begged Linda Barnes as she looked down into the grave they had just dug for her.
Her tormentors had dragged Barnes atop the mound of earth removed from the grave so she had an excellent view of her final resting place.
"I am not wasting a bullet on you; you're going in there alive," he pointed down to the grave, pleased with the petrified look he got from her. "Your pathetic look at you can't even control your bladder," he laughed as he watched the stream of urine flow down the mound of soil.
"P….Please don't kill me, Please… I have m-m-money…Nooo!" Her pleading was interrupted when she was pushed down the mound and fell to the bottom of the grave.
"No! No! Don't kill me, Please," pleaded the petrified woman. Her plead changed into screaming once the first shovel of earth hit her face as her tormentors started to bury her alive.
'Thud! Thud! Thud!'
The soil stopped falling, and a body sank into the grave, a hole in the centre of his head. Barnes was removed from the grave, still screaming. Pressing the autoinjector against her neck to initiate it, Linda Barnes almost instantly stopped crying as she fell into oblivion. Two men dressed in camouflage fatigues wearing ghillie suits, their faces hidden by camouflage paint, stood over her.
"Troll secured,"
The two men quickly rolled the remaining two bodies into the grave and buried them in their handiwork. The sniper team placed the unconscious body of Linda Barnes back into the pick-up bed, covered her with a tarp, and drove off.
EJ
Emily secured the hands of the unconscious security guard with plastic cuffs and dragged him into the bathroom. Returning to the bank of monitors, she stood beside Zehira and Ashley as they tried to locate JJ.
"That one, where is that?" asked Ashley as she looked at JJ tied to a chair, blindfolded and wearing headphones.
They could see she was being held in the north stable block by sending the feed to the big screen. Clad in only her underwear, the bruises and scars were evident. The high-definition cameras allowed detailed views of their injured friend. "Bastards have pulled her toenails off," announced a very pissed-off brunette profiler, her blood boiling at what they had done to her friend.
"I take it you won't be needing those?" Zehira asked as she pointed to the plastic cuffs on her vest
Emily didn't need to reply verbally. The burning fury behind her eyes was answer enough for her two female companions.
"This is rifle 2-1. You have company on route; do I have permission to engage?"
"Rifle 2-1, we have located the package. You are weapons-free. All teams, this is team one. We have located the package in the north stable block. team 2, meet us outside the stable northern block." Ashley replied
Ashley checked her M4. Her hand squeezed the grip as she followed Emily out of the security room.
EJ
Penelope ran the camera feed to her lair to monitor the four rescue teams moving around the horse farm. Erin's eyes glued to the screen, looking at her Jenny tied to the chair, "Hold on Jenny, your teams are coming to get you, sweetheart,"
Garcia wiped away the tears falling down her cheek; she loved this version of Erin Strauss-Jareau whilst waiting for the teams to get into position. She had spent much time talking with Erin and Yasmin. She adored Yasmin already and planned on spoiling her Persian princess. Much to the amusement, she had already installed herself as her second godmother. Penelope had enjoyed her time speaking to the senator. She even found out some very embarrassing stories about Emily from her.
"Team three, five armed guards exiting the silo rear door," announced Garcia.
"Copy that, Mother," Answered Rossi
The unicorn-loving Penelope Garcia watched as team three shot the guards; this act would generally make her sick, unable to watch, unlike when her family had to take another human's life. Today was different for the unicorn-loving analyst. The screen showing her friend on the primary monitor her injuries and missing hand is clearly defined.
EJ
Emily and her team approached the entrance to the north stable block. As the three ladies entered the stable block, they caught sight of Benezra and Benesh Akhtar running toward the stall where they were holding JJ.
"Go!" ordered Ashley as she opened fire, taking cover behind a short wall.
Zehira and Emily return fire as they run after the fleeing Akhtar women, with no doubt in either woman's mind about what they intend to do.
"Drop your knife!" ordered Zehira in Pashtu; Emily ordered them in English.
Benezra Akhtar held her curved blade to Jennifer's throat as her sister pulled the wire loop tight around her throat without hesitation; Emily squeezed her trigger twice. Her knife clattered to the floor. Benezra Akhtar crumpled to the floor with two bullet holes in her forehead.
"No!" screamed Benesh Akhtar as she watched her sister fall to the floor dead. Tugging hard on the wire around the blonde's neck, she crouched, shielding herself behind her captive.
'Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!'
The hand holding the wire tightly around JJ's neck seemed to explode as the four bullets fired decimated the flesh and bones contained in the hand. JJ started sucking in the air now she was able.
"Help Zaba Emily, she is mine," Zehira camly told Emily. She realised this woman had taken her good friend's hand. Benezra Akhtar was too short.
Emily was horrified as she approached her friend. She removed the wire around her neck, and blue eyes followed her every move. She assessed the shivering woman bound to the wooden chair. Pulling the knife from her belt, she released her hand and legs from the chair.
"Medivac helicopter three minutes out," Emily heard.
"You're safe, Jennifer. Let's get you to the hospital," Emily told her friend, gently rubbing her cheek. JJ didn't answer. She just pushed her cheek into Emily's hand.
"The compound is secure," Ashley informed the ladies as she placed a quilt around JJ's shoulders.
EJ
The medical team had taken JJ to the hospital for treatment, accompanied by Emily. Ashley stood with Zehira, looking down at the dead body of Benesh Akhtar, her right hand a bloody mess, a single bullet hole in her forehead.
"Ashley, she would always be a threat to Erin, Jennifer and Yasmin. I couldn't let her live," Zehira told her.
"We both know if you hadn't done it, Emily would have done it; there was no way Benesh or Benezra Akhtar were leaving here alive after what they had done. I don't have a problem with this, Zehira. You were defending yourself after all," Ashley smiled.
Ashley looked down at the two dead women and walked out of the stall with Zehira.
"let us get to the hospital; the world is descending on this place now," Derek told the two approaching women.
EJ
Erin Strauss-Jareau had been waiting in the hospital waiting room for five hours while they assessed Jennifer; she had been taken into the operating room two hours ago. She needed surgery on her right forearm; as traumatic as her amputation, the immediate cauterisation had sealed her stump, preventing infection. Unfortunately for Jennifer, a laceration just below her stump had become infected during her stay in the stable. Erin had to authorise her surgeon to amputate more of her forearm. The surgeon thought she should keep half her radius and ulna bones.
Yasmin was glued to her mother's side, not wanting to let her go, terrified about her Mama.
"Mama is going to be all right, sweetheart; she is going to need us both to help her get better when we get her home," Erin told her daughter, trying to sound positive for her worried girl.
"I just want to hold her again; I miss her so much, Mom," sniffed Yasmin.
"I know, sweetheart, I do too,"
"Family of Jennifer Strauss-Jareau?" asked the approaching doctor.
Erin and Yasmin jumped to their feet. "I am her wife, doctor. How is she?" asked her apprehensive spouse
The surgeon smiled as he looked around at the crowd of anxious people surrounding mother and daughter. " I had to amputate Jennifer's radius and ulna midshaft. The infection had travelled further than we hoped. Once her stump is healed, we can discuss a prosthesis. Her various lacerations have been cleaned and sutured. We had to scrub the wounds on her feet to remove glass fragments and other organic material. As brutal as it sounds, it must be done to prevent further infections. Jennifer has bacterial pneumonia, and we have started her on intravenous antibiotics. We are taking her to our high-dependency unit whilst she has Pneumonia as a precaution. I will get a nurse to come and collect you once we have her settled. Any questions?" he asked.
"No. Thank you, Doctor, for taking good care of Jennifer," smiled Erin.
The doctor smiled and walked off to return to his patients.
EJ
"Hi," smiled Jennifer as Erin and Yasmin walked into her room.
She was propped up in bed with an oxygen mask on, her right arm heavily bandaged and supported. Her feet are also heavily wrapped and elevated on pillows. She looked like a monster, her legs and left arm covered in stitches, making it look like she had been pieced together. The mottled-coloured skin helped with the illusion.
"Mama…" Yasmin started before stopping once she noticed the bandaged stump. "Sorry, Mama, it's all my…." her emotions got the better of her, and she burst into tears.
Ripping her oxygen mask off, JJ held her left arm to her crying daughter. "Come here, baby," wheezed Jennifer, tears rolling down her cheeks and noticing the hesitation of her daughter. "You won't hurt me, Yasmin. I need a princess hug," demanded her emotional mother
Yasmin rushed to her mother's side; JJ pulled her daughter into her chest, kissing her on her head.
"I thought I had lost you, my sweet girl. Don't cry, sweetie. I am fine, honestly," Wheezed Jennifer.
"Your Mama won't be fine if she doesn't replace her oxygen mask; Yaz, save your Mama my wrath by helping her replace the oxygen mask that helps her breathe that those pesky doctors think will help you get better and out of here," Erin playfully scolded her wife.
Smirking, Yasmin replaced the oxygen mask as instructed. "There you go, mama,"
"Climb in. I want a proper hug," ordered JJ. Without hesitation, this time Yasmin snuggled into her mama's left side
"Don't you ever frighten me like that again, Jenny; I love you so much," Erin leaned down, moved her oxygen mask to the side and kissed her wife deeply before replacing the mask.
"Hey, you're going to get me into trouble with my ball and chain," laughed Jennifer
"Pushing your luck, Mrs Strauss-Jareau," smirked Erin
"Room for three more?" Asked Emily from the door
Elizabeth, Emily and Zehira walk into the room.
Anger flashes across the faces of Emily and Zehira when they see their injured friend, both pairs of eyes transfixed on what remains of her right forearm.
"Hi guys," coughed JJ
"Oh Jenny, I don't know what to say. Whatever you need," Elizabeth told her friend.
"Barnes?" asked JJ, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Tell you later, sweetheart. Get some sleep. You need it." Answered Erin
EJ
Linda Barnes was handcuffed to a rail in the middle of the interrogation room table, her ankles shackled. Blindfolded, wearing noise-cancelling headphones, she knew she wasn't in FBI or police detention.
"I want a lawyer, and I know my rights. I am an FBI agent," she yelled, knowing somebody was watching her.
Barnes was indeed correct, and she was on the monitor in the control room, watched by nine people from various agencies, Including three FBI agents.
"Ready?" Emily Prentiss asked
"Yes," Erin Strauss-Jareau answered, handing her service weapon to Hotch, not wanting the temptation when confronted by the woman who caused Jennifer's injuries.
"Emily!" Zehira held out her hand for the brunette's Glock. Begrudgingly, the profiler handed over her weapon.
Leaning in close to her ear, she whispered, "Just one or two in a leg or arm, I promise,"
"No, just get in there and have fun," she smirked.
Erin and Emily walked out of the room to talk with Linda Barnes.
EJ
Emily removed the headphones and blindfold from Linda Barnes and smirked at the vile look she gave both women.
"I want a lawyer now! I have my rights," commanded Barnes
Emily leaned against the wall behind Barnes to intimidate her while Erin strolled to sit opposite her. Taking her seat slowly, she folded her arms on the table and smiled. Counting to fifty slowly in her head, Erin watched as the bravado of Linda Barnes drained away from her like someone had pulled the plug, draining the last remnants of her fight.
"Linda, you have supplied restricted information to known terrorists, aided in the kidnapping of a federal agent, assisted in the planning of kidnapping a minor for trafficking out of the country to be sold into slavery. You have no rights as a US citizen anymore," Erin sounded professional but had to admit she was enjoying every minute. "The president signed this earlier,"
Linda Barnes looked down at the document she had been handed and paled in shock, "That's impossible. I have rights," Linda screeched, shaken to the bone, as she looked down at her certificate of Denaturalization, stripping her of her citizenship of the United States of America and all the protection that provided her.
"Israel offered to accommodate you, Linda, in your own room. I'm unsure about the view and amenities, but the water sports are excellent; they are sending you a private jet. They are not sparing any expense," Emily informed her, still leaning against the wall. "I believe they have a small issue about some information you sold a group of criminals,"
"I want you dead for what you did to Jennifer," Erin paused to calm herself.
"I will help her for what you did to Jennifer. I won't stop at one hand," Emily menacingly told her, fighting her self-control, wanting to hurt the woman seated in front.
"But there is a chance you could redeem yourself, which will be highly dangerous. You will be free to a certain degree to run, and a red notice will be issued. Details will be provided if you consent. To keep you informed, you are now listed as a terrorist who escaped during the raid to free a kidnapped FBI agent. You are even in the top 5 of the FBI's most wanted. I don't think you are as high with interpol, but you made the top ten," Erin explained to her stunned nemesis.
"So you see Linda, any thoughts of running? You Might as well stop now. You don't stand a chance. North Korea might welcome a twice disgraced FBI assistant director without any money….Oh, my bad; I forgot we had frozen all your offshore bank accounts. Some helpful Israeli hackers that didn't like you provided us with all the pertinent details." Erin enjoyed the look on Linda Barnes's face; her momentary feeling of joy soon disappeared, remembering her broken wife.
EJ
Elizabeth Prentiss watched as the senior members of a few lettered agencies filed out of Jennifer's hospital room. A shit storm had descended on the FBI. An old bureau member had gone rogue, selling classified and privileged information to anybody who would pay. For the past two days, Jennifer Strauss-Jareau had been questioned in her hospital room while she recovered from her ordeal at the hands of the Akhtar sisters. They needed a scapegoat to apportion the blame to; in true Washington style, they were bolting the stable door after the herd had bolted. Linda Barnes had escaped from the horse farm and was in the wind, so no showpiece court case could be televised for all to see what happened to traitors. A closed Senate select committee hearing had been convened in three weeks to apportion blame and find the new scapegoat since Barnes was in the wind.
The senator knew how Washington worked all too well; the need for a few senior politicians always outweighed the condition of the non-political masses. The white house chief of Staff was pushing for prompt closure, which meant the United States president wanted quick and satisfactory closure of this whole sordid affair. Four sacrificial agents had been identified. It was down to the select committee, which they chose after the hearing.
Jennifer and Erin Strauss Jareau, Aaron Hotchner and Ashley Seaver had received their summons to attend the committee hearing.
"I brought you a coffee. I thought you would need one after finishing the questioning," Elizabeth Prentiss smiled at her friend.
Making sure to pass JJ her coffee to her left hand, her friend instinctively tried to use her missing right hand. Elizabeth watched JJ drink her coffee; her face looked hideous, a Jackson Pollock-arranged make-up job. Her bruising had developed well over the past week. Her blonde friend had responded well to her antibiotics, and her pneumonia cleared up, as confirmed by yesterday's CT scan. What concerned the Senator was the worry she could detect.
"They are going to crucify Rin, Elizabeth." JJ told the senator, "I managed to stop Emily from being dragged into this shit storm,"
"I know we spoke earlier; she has taken our mutual problem to Mexico with Zehira. I made her look a little worse to sell her escape story. I think Emily enjoyed that more than the time she hit you," Smiled Elizabeth, trying to make her friend smile.
"I bet she did. This doesn't seem right; Elizabeth, Erin, Hotch and Ashley don't deserve to be hauled in front of this senate hearing. I need you. They have to speak to the chairwoman for the FBI director and me," Elizabeth nodded,
EJ
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