CHAPTER 19
"She's gone," said Tara while bursting inside the briefing room.
The rest of the team has spent the last half an hour trying to identify Daniela's abductor.
They have narrowed down the search to 10 possible suspects, with the agents going through each of their files in order to determine if one of them is the abductor.
But Declan Doyle is not among that list of suspects.
"What do you mean she's gone?" asks Matt as he places a file folder on the table.
"I looked for her in her office in order to ask if she needed anything but she wasn't there. I assumed she went to the bathroom but no one was at the stalls."
"Maybe she went to another part of the building," said Alvez, trying to calm Tara down.
In the eyes of Luke Alvez, Emily is a very composed and organized person. She always does things by the book.
The Unit Chief wouldn't something as dangerous as going out for Daniela's abductor, right?
"Let me try to call her. Luke could be right. Maybe she just went to another part of the building," JJ tells the team as she pulls out her phone.
She quickly goes to her contact list and clicks on Emily's name.
She hopes Emily picks up her call. That will assure her as well as the rest of the team that she is okay.
It's already hard on the team in knowing that Dani is in danger. Adding Emily in that equation will just add more tension to this case.
But unlike Luke, JJ knows what Emily is capable of during these types of scenarios.
The newest team members do not know of Emily's extended past working in the BAU.
Specifically, they do not know of the time that Emily went out on her own in order to take down a very vile and infamous person from her past.
Yes, Emily has great qualities as a person. She is very composed and organized both in and out of a work environment.
Unfortunately, she is also very unpredictable and distrustful of others when it comes to extreme cases.
These traits nearly killed her the last time they were in a similar situation.
To the blonde's dismay, her call is sent straight to voicemail.
That is not a good sign.
"She won't answer me. The call was sent to voicemail," JJ announces, specifically looking at Rossi in order to let him know that she needs his guidance.
The whole team needs him.
Rossi nods and stands up from where he was sitting. He knew that something wasn't right when Emily last left the briefing room.
Rossi had a hunch that something wasn't right with the woman's behavior but he couldn't quite place a finger on it.
He was too busy trying to solve this case just like the rest of the team that he failed to see what Emily was up to.
"Garcia, check security footage of the building to see where Emily was last seen," he orders, hoping that there is a slight chance that Emily is still in the building.
"Yes, sir," Garcia said while typing on her laptop, in search of the brunette.
She focuses her attention on the camera that shows a clear vision of Emily's office. She rewinds the feed and stops about half an hour back once she sees Emily stepping out of her office.
Rossi walks towards Garcia and watches the footage attentively in order to study Emily's behavior.
He quickly takes notice of how Emily gets out of her office in a hurry, taking the staircase that is on the opposite side of the briefing room in order to ensure that her team members would not notice her leave.
Garcia moves from camera to camera, following the woman's footsteps.
It eventually shows how Emily leaves the building and heads towards the parking lot, leaving the location completely.
"Guys, Tara is right," Penelope said with a troubled voice. "Emily left."
The team is all on alert. Their Unit Chief has left a secure area to an unknown location. This is anything but good.
"I don't get it. Why would she leave alone?" Asks Matt with his arms crossed against his chest.
He, just like the other new members of the team, is unaware of Emily's past actions. Her leaving without warning is not something he would expect from her.
"I think I have an idea why," said Rossi.
"Garcia, she took one of the SUVs. Run the plate number and track down the car's location."
Emily took a government vehicle. All of these vehicles have GPS trackers in order to ensure the locations of each and every car.
He thinks that Emily's choice of vehicle was done on purpose. The woman is well aware that the car she took has a tracker on it.
If she didn't want to be located, she could have easily taken her personal one.
She wants to be found.
Garcia quickly scans and types down the plate number from the SUV that Emily took.
This woman. Why did she leave like this? Does she not trust us?
Penelope also feels conflicted with all of this. Her boss, her close friend, left somewhere without telling them. Garcia can't go through the same thing again.
She cannot go through the same type of sorrow scenario like she did when Emily first went rogue. It was one of the darkest moments of her life.
"The last known location was about eighteen minutes ago. The car is parked in a public parking place located in South West DC. I am sending the address as we speak."
"Just as I thought. She went to go find Dani," Rossi said.
"We need to get there as soon we can. Every minute counts," he tells the team.
They all nod and quickly gather their items, leaving the briefing room in a hurry.
"Please find them and get them home safely," Garcia announces as they leave.
She is worried, they all are. The tech analyst hopes that both Dani and Emily are safe.
They have to be.
She doesn't know what she would do if something bad were to happen to them.
The team all rush down to the parking lot and get in their respective SUVs. They quickly press on the accelerator, heading their way to the parking lot.
Time is of the essence. Every single minute counts in order to rescue both ladies.
Rossi is driving one of the vehicles, while JJ and Reid are in the passenger seat.
They are all very anxious to arrive. The tension is very evident in all of them that they don't bother to mask it anymore.
Everyone in that car has been through this before. When a team member goes on to leave the safety of their team in order to tackle the issue by themselves, the danger was always present.
Like the time that former Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner went by himself in order to rescue his wife and son from the hands of the infamous serial killer, George Foyet.
That case did not end well for him. Unfortunately, he was too late to save his wife.
Or when their former partner, Derek Morgan, went alone in order to confront the man who shot his wife, Chaz Montolo.
He couldn't bear the fact that he almost lost both his wife and son in one night. He had to be the one to stop Montolo from hurting his family again.
That heated decision almost got him killed in the process. Morgan almost lost his chance in raising his son and being with his wife.
It is safe to say that going solo after someone threatening is bound to cause pain. Both for the individual as well as the rest of the team.
"I can't believe she did this again," Reid said in a low volume.
JJ and Rossi glance at him, both of them knowing exactly what he means.
"Why would she leave without telling us? Doesn't she know how dangerous it could be?"
Spencer's tone of voice sounds angry but his anger is only used to hide his worry for his friend.
From what he knows, Emily went alone towards the unknown danger that is in getting Daniela back. She should have told him, told the team that she was going to find Dani.
They could have worked on a plan that ensured everyone's safety in order to rescue the teenager.
Does Emily not trust them enough for this?
Spencer suddenly recalls the last time she left without them knowing. How she went on her own in order to hunt down Ian Doyle.
That same day, the woman ended up in the hospital and was declared dead.
Having an eidetic memory is not always a good thing. His gifted mind forbids him from forgetting this tragic day.
"Knowing her, she probably weighed this out," Rossi said with his eyes on the road.
"The unsub probably contacted her saying that Dani would be in great danger if she didn't come alone."
"She wants us to find her. She used one of the SUV's knowing well that they all have a GPS tracker. If she wouldn't want us involved, she would have made sure no one would be able to locate her," JJ said while looking at Spencer.
She also doesn't completely agree with Emily's choice.
The blonde knows that her friend's life could be on the line and she can't bear the possibility of losing two people she really cares about.
"She relies on us to find them and we will," said Rossi with full determination.
No one is going to get hurt under his watch.
The team arrives at the parking lot where Penelope pinned the location. They see the car that Emily used parked, confirming she was there.
Now the team had to know where exactly she went.
"Any known abandoned buildings around here?" Alvez asks Garcia, having her on speaker so the rest can hear.
"In a few blocks south from the parking lot there are a few buildings that are not in use for years," Garcia replies.
"I will pin down those buildings. Unfortunately, I do not have a precise location. I will try to go see Emily's last phone contact in order to trace the call. Hopefully, it gives me an exact coordinate."
The team go to the area where Garcia informed
them. There are six buildings that are completely abandoned. These are all possible areas where Emily and Dani could be.
They split up into two groups in order to fasten the search. JJ, Alvez, and Tara are sent to the east side of the buildings while Rossi, Reid, and Matt take the west side.
They know that they have to clear out every building until they find the right one. They start their search, determined to find them.
Hopefully, before it's too late.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Declan clenches his hands into a fist, firmly gripping the steel knuckles tightly.
As soon as he gets a firm grip, he throws a punch at Dani's jaw, making her head fall back.
"No! Stop! You don't have to do this!" Emily pleads.
She fights against the ropes with all her force, pulling in hopes of them getting loose.
"Shut it!" Declan exclaims as he adjusts the steel knuckles properly again.
Dani moves her jaw slowly, feeling a stinging pain on her jaw and part of her cheek. The steel knuckles added more force to his punch, thus adding the intensity of the pain.
Once again, the metallic taste of blood is present on her lip though she tries her best to ignore the affliction.
She then lifts her gaze to Emily.
"Estoy Bien," she tells her with a shaky voice.
The girl wants to reassure her with words but she knows that it wouldn't do much. She can see the worry in the agent's eyes.
Emily looks at Dani and immediately feels distressed, having the urgent need in stopping Declan.
"Declan, she did nothing wrong. Let her go! I'm the one you want, not her," the agent tells him.
"I'm the one you want to harm."
She has to convince him to stop hurting Daniela and focus his attention on herself. That way, the girl doesn't get hurt anymore.
"That was the original plan," he tells her.
"But when I noticed you took in a kid I just couldn't resist the temptation. You are the one who brought her into this," he said while pointing at Emily.
He looks back at Dani, lifting her chin up in order for him to see her eye to eye.
"You were better off a stray in the streets."
Back then, he felt lost and unsure about his life.
The people who took him in, the Miller's, have always treated him well but deep down, Declan never felt like he was part of the family.
He had a family, yet he felt like the odd one out.
That was until the IRA members found him when he turned 17. They lured him by the promise that he would no longer feel odd.
That he will finally have a stable place with loyal men that will always defend him from anything and everything.
It was a promise of a family.
Declan was particularly interested in learning about his father. He was always curious about the man who could have raised him.
He had always wondered what would have happened if, in another timeline, he would have stayed and lived with Ian instead of living with the Miller's.
The members who were the closest to Ian told him great stories about his father. How the man was raised in hardship with little chance of having a bright future.
He surpassed all odds and became successful in the market of dealing with weapons.
He was also told how his father had many different plans for him. He wanted Declan to be a warrior just like his father.
That is why he chose only the best for him. Ian Doyle did everything to protect his one and only son.
That cost him his life. That is why Declan feels the need to do this.
He planned this month ahead, starting by locating and researching Emily. It wasn't hard, especially since she is the Unit Chief of the BAU.
He had her located in order to send men to start stalking her every move.
His informants watched her carefully in order to gather important information that can help take her down. That is when Declan was told that Emily was not alone.
She lived with someone. She lived with a girl.
That news was unexpected yet it gave him an advantage that would ensure Emily paid for everything that she has done.
If he had to watch his father die in front of him, why not return the favor?
She will have to watch the torture and death of the girl that she cared about.
On the other hand, Dani looks at him with an angry expression. It wasn't the first time someone referred to her as a stray.
She can recall a few instances in which people have named her that as a form of belittling her.
She hates that word with a passion and she was sure as hell she wasn't going to allow anyone to call her that.
She spits out blood that she has from her parted lip, aiming directly at his face.
"Go fuck yourself," Dani mumbles.
Declan quickly backs up, caught off guard by the girl's action. He uses the hem of his shirt and wipes his face while staring at Dani.
The girl has on a smug face, but it quickly disappears once she feels the full force of his punch landing on her stomach, making her groan in pain.
"Please stop! Just stop!" The agent implores.
She needs to stop him but she physically can't do anything. The only thing she can do is beg for mercy.
The woman can't stand seeing Daniela get hurt in front of her eyes.
Declan turns his head around and looks at Emily.
"You failed, Emily. Ian won the bet and now you have to pay your end of the deal," Declan tells in a cold tone.
He turns his attention back to Dani and punches her again at her abdomen. Dani feels the strong impact but the only thing she does is clench her jaw as hard as she can.
She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her agonizing in pain. She is getting physically hurt but she refuses him to hurt her pride.
Declan throws three more punches in the same area, though his punches seem to gradually decrease in force.
Daniela knows that the only reason why that is happening is that Declan is also hurting himself. The guy will end up with bruises on his knuckles.
Minor injuries in comparison to what she will end up having.
He then swings at Dani's shoulder, letting out maniacal laughter.
Dani feels her body throbbing in pain. Pain that she cannot describe in words. The immense physical discomfort she feels is too much.
This isn't the first time the girl has felt physical agony. There are levels of pain and she believes she has handled most, if not all.
She is trying to convince herself that she can take it. She can take the blows that she is receiving.
But her body says otherwise.
She is breathing heavily, trying to handle the immense pain that is coursing throughout her body. She doesn't say anything though, not a sound comes out of her mouth.
Opposite from Emily, who is crying out, pleading for Declan to stop.
"Stop! Direct your anger towards me! I'm the one you want to hurt!"
The agent begs with teary eyes. Her chest is burning but she is trying everything she can in order to not break down completely.
It is hard to keep her composure because every punch Dani received shattered her heart to pieces.
Declan looks at Emily and smirks. She recognizes that look.
It's like she is seeing a younger version of Ian himself, fully satisfied with the results he is getting. Declan is winning and he knows it.
"That is exactly what I'm doing. Hurting you through her," he said.
He strikes Dani with a final punch, landing at her chest. This punch knocks the wind out of Dani, making her gasp for air.
She starts to cough, feeling a sharp sting in her rib cage. She whimpers, wanting the torture to end.
"Please stop!" Emily said, a sob escaping from her.
She can't control her feelings anymore. Watching her daughter getting hurt right in front of her makes her feel an extreme agony which she can no longer handle.
Tears are streaming down her face, tracing around her cheek.
"Is that you got?" Dani said with a shaky breath, looking at Declan with narrow eyes.
"I expected something more interesting," she said while trying her best to keep her head up.
She is saying this either to antagonize him or to show him that she still has a will to fight back. Part of her doesn't even know what she is saying anymore.
She thinks that the hits she received combined with the drugs that put her to sleep is starting to mess with her brain.
But she wasn't going down without a fight.
Declan looks at the teen and raises his brow in surprise.
"You. You are more stubborn than I could have imagined," Declan said with a smirk.
"You are either very stupid or brave. It's a damn shame your life had to be cut off so soon. You would have gone far in life."
"Leave her alone," Emily demands.
"She has been through too much already."
She is worried sick about the girl's physical state. She is hurt and needs medical attention ASAP. She needs her cuts to be tended to as well the parts of her body where she was hit.
For all Emily knows, the girl could have fractured a bone.
"You heard her. She is fine." Declan said while walking towards Emily.
He crouches down eye-level at par with Emily.
"You should worry about yourself, Emily," he said while taking out a gun that was tucked on the back of his pants.
He points the gun directly at her head, the cold metal touching her skin.
"Because I will make sure your death is a painful one."
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
The team has searched in four out of the six buildings that Penelope located. They had no luck in finding them in either building and time is running out.
"What if we don't find them," Reid said with worried eyes.
Each funeral he went to during his years working in the BAU has to take a toll on him. That is one of the things that he doesn't like about the job.
It can really deteriorate the mental stability of a person, himself included.
He already buried Emily once. The feeling of losing a friend was too much for him. He suffered for weeks, crying and unable to sleep, mourning the loss of his friend.
He didn't want to do it again, especially with Daniela's life on the line too.
"Don't worry kid. We will find them even if it's the last thing we do," Rossi tells him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He is also worried, if not even more than Spencer. He will never admit it out loud but he cares for his team members as if they were his kids.
Emily is the one child, alongside Morgan when he was in the team, that is independent and quick-witted.
She is like the rebellious teenager that Rossi has learned to love. The woman is stubborn as hell, which would either grant her something good or land her in trouble.
Her loyalty and dedication are something that he admires about her.
He cares for her, he truly does. This is why it pains him that he doesn't know about her well-being.
They are clearing out the fourth building, checking out each floor for any sign of them. Luck is not on their side, with them finding nothing that can help them with their search.
They just hope that the other group has more luck than they do.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Tara, JJ, and Alvez are all stepping out of the third building, feeling slightly defeated in their lack of results.
It's hard on all of them. They are more than just work colleagues. The BAU is a family and when one of them is in possible danger, all of them feel the need to help out.
JJ is especially worried about this. She is scared of losing two very close people that she loves.
Emily is one of her best friends. She has known the brunette for years. They share a lot of things together.
Each time she needs someone to confide in when it came to things she doesn't want to bring back home, JJ relies on Emily for understanding.
She is a great person, to say the least.
JJ loves Dani with all her heart. When Emily was in preparation for taking the girl in, JJ was the first and only one that the woman told.
JJ wasn't completely surprised by Emily's decision, knowing well that her friend has a compassionate heart.
She supported her along the way, ensuring that Emily had everything in place for the teenager's arrival.
When she met Daniela for the first time, she saw a reserved kid, talked very little, and tended to wanting to be alone.
Even though the girl seemed to be shy, JJ also knew that she was strong-minded and determined. All she needed was time to adjust.
The blonde has always felt the need to look out after her. Not only because she is the kid that Emily was taking care of, but also because her motherly instincts told her to do so.
She wants her to be in a safe and stable environment, that is why knowing that both of them are in danger makes this a very difficult task.
She is scared of finding them too late.
Just then she receives a call from Garcia. She answers and places her phone on speaker so that the rest of the group can hear.
"You're on speaker, Garcia," JJ answers as the rest of the team attentively listens.
"Okay, so after a few mental breakdowns on trying to track the location Emily received her last call from, I finally managed to pinpoint out the exact location of where the call was made. I just sent the location to all of you guys,"
said the tech analyst, rushing her words in order to give the information quickly.
"Thank you," JJ said and hangs up.
That is great news to all of them. They finally have an exact location to go to in order to find both ladies.
Alvez checks his phone and reads the location that Garcia sent.
"It's the building at the end of the street," he informs the rest of the group.
"We will head out there first since we are closer," said JJ. "The rest of the team will catch up."
The three agents run down to the end of the street, heading towards the building. They are all driven with determination to save them.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Declan is holding the gun firmly, pointing at Emily. The woman glances at Dani, seeing her eyes filled with fear.
She has never seen Daniela so scared, with her face practically pale in fear.
A wave of guilt hits the agent knowing that the child will be scarred both physically and emotionally.
She then refocuses her attention back on Declan. Emily just stares at him, narrowing her eyes.
Her heart rate is racing with anxiety and fear but she wants to look brave for Dani. Emily knows if she cracks, Dani will too.
"You know, agent. I think killing you right now wouldn't give me that much satisfaction," Declan said with a malicious grin.
He lowers the gun down, no longer pointing at her.
"Killing the kid sounds like a better option."
"No! Take me! I'm the one you want dead!" The brunette implores, using all her force to fight against the ropes she is tied up with.
"Let her go!"
Declan kicks Emily at her stomach with a force that makes her groan in pain.
Declan walks standing next to Dani. He points the gun at the side of her head. All of his intention right now is to kill her.
His plan is working flawlessly. He sees how Emily is suffering. She is pleading for mercy, asking for him to spare the girl's life.
She is feeling the same agonizing emotions that Declan knows his father felt when he saw pictures of him being "executed".
He saw his son dead in pictures. He grieved for years, thinking that he failed to protect him.
Now Emily will also grieve the loss of someone close. This time, instead of seeing pictures of her dead child, she will witness it in person.
Dani lifts her head up in a slow manner, her head still fuzzy from everything that has happened. She tilts her head slightly, seeing the gun pointing directly at her.
She stares at Declan showing nothing but exhaustion on her face.
But she doesn't blink.
Declan stares at her for a few seconds, surprised that the girl is just starting at the gun, void of any emotion. He was expecting her to break down and beg him not to shoot her.
But she doesn't do any of that.
That is when he notices that this girl is not exactly who he expected her to be.
"I recognize that face," he tells the girl.
"This isn't the first time you have had a gun pointed to your head, is it?"
Daniela lifts up her gaze, her attention now on Declan.
"I was trained not to break when facing death. So if you want to intimidate me, you have to do better than that."
"The thing is... I want to scare her. Not you," Declan says, looking back at Emily.
"You see what you cause, Agent? This girl is going to die and it's all your fault. I guess it's in your second nature to ruin the lives of children," he tells the woman.
He pulls up his sleeve from his arm that is holding the gun, revealing a four clover tattoo. The same tattoo that Ian made a symbol of.
"This tattoo represents everything my father built. It represents his power. You should have respected it," he states while clenching the gun.
"Don't do this! She is just a kid!" Emily cries out.
"Well, it's unfortunate that she ended up with you. She would have lived longer if you never crossed paths with her."
"Please! Just leave her alone!" The agent begs, her voice cracking up.
"You said it yourself, I am the one who ruined your life! Not her!"
"You dragged her into this mess, not me! If you would have minded your own business, none of this would have happened!" He snaps with full-blown anger.
"You should have left my father alone. He did nothing wrong to you. In fact, he loved you, or at least he loved Lauren Reynolds. That was his mistake, letting his guard down. All because of you."
"He was a dangerous man! He did many horrible things throughout his life. He took away countless lives," she tries to reason with him.
"You are just trying to deny the truth."
"I am not denying shit! You're trying to wipe the dirt out of your hands because you know what I am saying is true," he said to her.
Dani is attentively listening while staring at Declan's hand where he is holding the gun.
She knows he has to be distracted long enough in order to avoid him pulling the trigger.
In order to do this, she has to know exactly why he is doing this. She needs to find a weak spot, something that will delay his actions.
"You took away my father. The only relative I had left in this world. All because of you," Declan growls, biting his words.
He quickly shifts his position, directing the gun towards Emily.
Emily stares at him while he is pointing the gun at her. It isn't the first time she has had a gun aimed at her but this case is way different.
She has her kid with her witnessing all of this. She knows how horrible the scene would look if Declan pulled the trigger.
If he pulls that trigger, Daniela would yet again see someone close, die right in front of her.
She sees all the anger and hate Declan has towards her. Was it true? Did Emily really really destroy a young boy's life?
She starts to question how she handled everything when it came to Doyle.
Maybe her actions were selfish after all?
It's true. She also wanted to protect herself. Was her selfishness getting in the way without her realizing it?
Dani looks at the scene and starts to panic. Shit! She has to think of something and she has to think of something quick.
Then, an idea comes to mind.
"You're right," the teens speak up, catching Declan's attention.
She tries her best in talking without a shaky voice. The fear mixed with the pain she is currently feeling makes it hard to talk normally but she is managing to sound confident enough when speaking.
"Your life was all ruined because of her. She had no right in deciding what was best for you. If she really cared, she would have left you with your father," she tells him.
"Every kid has a right to stay with their parents. No one else should determine that except them."
Declan looks at Dani and frowns.
"How the hell would you know about this?" He questions her.
"You and I have a lot of things in common. More than you think," Dani replies, content that she has his attention.
" I was separated from my mom for the same reason why you were separated from your father. It was because someone else decided that we were better off without them," she starts, hoping that she can have some sort of connection with Declan.
"After I lost my brother in a drive-by shooting, I only had my mom. She was the only person in the whole world left for me. I loved her with all my heart and so did she, but that didn't matter to CPS. They didn't give two shits about who I cared about."
"They decided to take me away from her even though I begged them not to. Thanks to them I couldn't be with the person I loved the most and now she is gone," Dani tells him, her voice sounding fragile.
She glances at Emily who looks at her with sorry eyes. The girl bites her lip and looks back at Declan.
"That's why I know what you feel. Our lives were ruined because of adults who think they know better."
"My father was the only person who I had left," Declan said, his voice also softening.
He lowers the gun slowly, no longer pointing at the agent.
"And so was my mother," Dani tells him, hoping he would lower the gun all the way.
"That is why I understand your pain. It hurts... it hurts like a bitch knowing the person you love is gone."
"If you know how it feels then you know why I want to kill her," Declan tells her.
He raises the gun back up and points at Emily.
"Wait! Don't do that!" Dani exclaims, her eyes wide open.
Her plan isn't working and she is running out of time.
"You said it yourself, you want to make her suffer as much as possible. You won't accomplish that if you kill her."
"You're just saying that to defend her," Declan snarls back.
"That ain't it. Why would I defend her?" Dani asks.
"She is the one that got me into this mess from the start. Not only that but she didn't even bother to tell me the truth. Why the hell would I defend a liar?"
She doesn't mean this. She doesn't mean any of this. She just needs Declan to believe her. That way, she can protect Emily from getting hurt.
Declan stops for a moment to think. He frowns and looks up at the girl.
"So you don't care about her?" He asks the teen.
"Why would I care about a liar?" She questions back.
She glances at Emily, meeting her gaze. Daniela expresses her regret, silently begging for the agent to not take anything she is about to say to heart.
She looks back at Declan and slowly sits up.
"Listen, man. Emily is cool and all but she is just my guardian and nothing else. Look at me. I'm in this whole situation because of her."
"I've been living with her for two years and not once has she ever bothered to tell me about her life as an undercover agent," she tells him, hoping she convinces him enough for him to stop pointing at Emily.
"I don't even know who that woman is anymore," she continues.
"I gave her my trust and she breaks it. That is something I can never forgive her for."
Again, she doesn't mean this. Well, not most of it. The girl does feel conflicted when it comes to Emily not telling her beforehand that she knew her kidnapper.
She thinks that she has a right to know why she was taken. Emily could have come out forward before and explain to her the situation but she didn't.
That doesn't change the fact that the girl still loves her. Emily means a lot to her, more than she wants to admit, even to herself.
Emily is the only person who saw something in her, giving the girl a second chance at life. The woman has taught her many things, but most importantly, Emily has shown her what it feels like to be loved again.
She just feels that her trust in Emily is not as strong as it was before.
Declan is still holding the gun with a firm grip, the gun pointing in Emily's direction. Emily has her attention divided between the gun and the girl.
As a profiler, she knows Daniela is lying when it comes to her words.
The look the girl gave her was a giveaway but she wonders which parts in Daniela's sentences were true and which ones is pure bluff.
"I get it. You want to hurt her and I don't blame you," Daniela says.
"You and I know exactly what to do in order to make her suffer. You make her pay through me."
This catches Declan's attention quickly. He lowers the gun halfway and looks at the girl directly. He knows what she said is true.
Daniela is Emily's weak spot. He takes her down, Emily will have nothing left.
He smiles and points his gun back at the girl, his attention solely on her.
Emily instantly sits up, noticing the change in Declan's target. She shoots Daniela a confused look, wondering why the hell did she expose herself like that.
The only thing she accomplished was getting the gun pointing at her now.
Wait... that was her plan from the start, she thinks to herself.
She knows why Daniela said this. She wanted Declan to stop pointing at the agent, swapping positions with her.
"Declan, don't do that," she calls out.
"I'm the one you want. I did all of this. She has nothing to do in this and you know it," she tells him, trying to gain his attention again.
"Don't listen to her. She is just trying to distract you," the teenager said.
She sees how Emily gives her a look, telling her to be quiet but she ignores her.
Emily can give her all the glares she wants, Daniela will stand by her decision and protect her. She wasn't about to lose Emily. Not on her watch.
"You have me in here Declan. The opportunity you always wanted in me being an easy target. You won't always have this opportunity."
"She is messing with you. Don't let her win," the teenager interjects.
"Alright! Will you two shut it already?!" Declan shouts, stopping both ladies from talking.
He is overwhelmed with everything that both of them are saying. The back and forth talk was starting to mess with his head.
The truth is, he isn't quite sure which of the two options would cause the most pain.
He leans towards Daniela, facing her directly.
"You do know if I don't listen to her, you will be the one dying. Right?" he asks while slowly tracing the gun at her abdomen.
Daniela takes a deep gulp before answering.
"I'm quite aware," she answers slowly.
"But you see, I have nothing to lose if you pull that trigger. My family is gone and I'm the only one left."
"If anything I gain from this. I get the chance in being with them again and that is something I always wanted," she tells him with a low voice.
"You continue with your original plan then that will mean that Emily will have to live the rest of her life with the guilt of a dead kid," she continues, seeing how she is swaying Declan into her direction.
"You and I both know the pain in knowing that one of our loved ones is gone forever. Why don't you return the favor?"
Those last two sentences were strong enough for Declan to make his final decision.
"You're right about that," Declan said with a nod.
"The only way to make her truly suffer is if I kill you first," he said while shifting the gun at the girl.
"No! Declan don't do this!" Emily screams out, hoping that someone, anyone, to hear her pleading.
"I saw my father die in front of me without being able to do anything to help him. I think it's fair to return the favor," Declan snarls.
"Don't!" Emily cries with tears streaming down her face, streaming down her bruised cheek.
She feels a burning sensation in her chest. A harsh and sharp pain. Not a physical one but an emotional one.
The agonizing reality of what is about to happen.
Dani looks up at Emily one last time.
She hears the pain in Emily's voice as she begs Declan not to pull the trigger.
She has never seen the woman this way. It pains the girl seeing how Emily is crying, something she thought she would never see.
But she is doing this to protect her.
Daniela knows that she could take her last breath any moment from now. Her life is just a few seconds from the trigger.
This is probably the most selfless act she has ever done. She knows exactly what she did. She made herself the target.
Any other person would say that her act is a stupid one, an act that will get her killed.
Those people wouldn't understand. Daniela has her reasons for doing so.
She loves Emily. Meeting Emily is the one good that has ever happened to her ever since being placed in the system.
The woman deeply cares for her and always wants what is best for her even if the girl didn't think she deserved it.
Of course, their relationship didn't click within a day. Daniela admits that she didn't make it easy on Emily when it came to their bonding.
She built an invisible wall around her, making it practically impossible for Emily to get near her.
But the woman was persistent in getting close to her. Despite everything, she managed in breaking down the barriers that the teenager places.
Daniela didn't want to but she ended up being close to Emily.
She ended up loving her.
That is why she is placing her life on the line. She can't imagine losing Emily, especially knowing that she could have done something to save her.
It's her fault that her brother died. She could have done more.
It's her fault that her mother died. She could have done more.
It's hard enough for her to live every day with the guilt of her closest family members dying because of her incompetence.
It drags her down into an endless pit of misery and breaks her piece by piece. Adding Emily to the list will just make her feel even worse.
She will rather die than feel the pain of losing another person she loves. At least her death will be less painful than her guilt.
At least her death will be a meaningful sacrifice.
She mumbles lo Siento under her breath and manages to give her a small smile.
She doesn't know why she smiles but she does. She then closes her eyes and clenches her jaw when hearing the gun click.
"FBI! Don't move!"
A sentence that came as a ray of sunshine in all the darkness.
Dani recognizes the male voice. She opens her eyes and behind Declan is Luke, JJ, and Tara standing a few feet away from them.
All three of them pointing their guns at Declan.
Emily has never felt so relieved when seeing her team arrive. She knew they were going to find them in order to free them.
Part of her wanted to smile at all the joy she was feeling when seeing them.
But Declan still has Dani.
Declan takes a small step closer to the girl.
"You move one more inch and I swear I will blow your head off," Luke snaps, aiming his gun at Declan's head.
He isn't playing any games. Any false move and he will not hesitate in pulling the trigger.
"Drop the gun now!" JJ states, her grip on the gun strong and firm.
Declan glances at Emily.
"Don't think you have won this, Emily," he says with frustration.
"Drop it! You dare try anything else and you won't see what hit you!" Luke said while holding his gun with a firm grip.
"I think I'll take my chances," Declan said with a smirk. He looks down at the girl and clenches his hand.
Pow!