The Photographer
folder
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,816
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Criminal Minds
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
23
Views:
1,816
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters, nor do I make any type of profit from this.
XVI
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
Undisclosed City, VA
“Well, Aaron, I hate to leave you like this, but work calls…” The Photographer leaned in closely to his victim. Hotch fought to keep his eyes open, his plan was depending on whether he could stay conscious or not. He began to mumble under his breath, forcing the UnSub to lean in closer to hear him. “What’s that, Hotch?”
“Fuck… you…” Aaron used all the energy he had to bite down on the ski mask, pulling it from his captor’s head in the ensuing struggle. He met his captor’s eyes, taking in the man’s features. “Y… you!? How could you do this!? You’re –“ Hotch’s incredulous shouts were cut off by a punch directly to his jaw. The Photographer was pissed.
“You fucking dumb ass! You just signed your death warrant!” He pulled his fists back repeatedly, smashing them into the FBI agent’s face. His sick laughter filled the room as his hands were covered in Hotch’s blood. He stopped his assault just before Hotch could reach unconsciousness. The UnSub looked at his work proudly. Hotch’s nose was broken as was his right orbital bone which was protruding from his cheek just slightly. Blood was pouring from his mouth, his jaw severely dislocated. His brow was split open, adding to the blood that covered his face. His breathing was haggard and uneven, his head hanging weakly as he fought to stay conscious.
“Dey’ll… hind… oo…” His words weren’t even intelligible through his broken jaw.
“They’ll find me? Really? I’m counting on it, right after they find your cold, dead body, beaten beyond recognition.” He kicked his steel toed boot out, smiling at the resulting crack of Hotch’s ribs. Aaron wheezed in pain as he coughed up more blood, staining his shirt that hadn’t been white in days. He looked up at his attacker defiantly, giving him a blood smile. “I… win…”
The Photographer looked at him with fury. He was right. Hotch had forced him to kill him prematurely by finding out his identity. He wouldn’t admit that to the profiler, even if he already knew. “Really, Agent Hotchner? We’ll see what Jack thinks when he gets your body in a box.” The UnSub pulled out a .9mm hand gun, pointing it straight at Hotch before firing twice. “I’ll leave you to your long deserved death. It was fun, Aaron.” He threw the gun into the cell before leaving. The BAU would find Hotch dead. They would never be able to trust themselves again. His identity would stay a secret. He won.
Aaron’s eyes went wide at the searing pain, nearly bulging out of his head. He looked down at the holes in his chest and stomach that had blood flooding from them. He felt himself slowly losing his grip on reality. He was going to die at the hands of the bastard he worked to catch. Hotch has failed.
---
EAST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
“CLEAR!” Emily’s voice rang out over the silence of the bunker. JJ and Reid walked up behind her, guns drawn, an army of SWAT officers taking up the rear. They continued clearing each room until there was only one left at the end of the hall. The three agents could barely breathe through the anxiety as they approached the precarious door.
Reid kicked the locked door with all his might, putting the techniques Morgan had taught him into action as he kept his gun raised as the team entered. He wasn’t sure whether to be excited or deflated at the sight before him. “Morgan… there’s no one where. We’re going to keep searching.”
-- “Ok, Reid. We’ll let you know once we’ve cleared the bunker.”
“Be careful.” Spencer cut the radio communications on his end. Now they just had to wait and hope that Rossi and Morgan found Hotch before it was too late.
---
WEST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
“Rossi, we can’t wait for SWAT to get there! Reid, Prentiss, and JJ didn’t find him, so that can only mean Hotch is in there!” Morgan glared at the older agent furiously. How could he be so calm at a time like this? “Derek, I understand your frustration, but if we go in there without back up, we could get ourselves or Hotch killed.” Dave put his hands up in an attempt to calm the angry agent. It didn’t work. “Yea, and if we stay out here, Hotch dies for sure. I’d rather chance my life than guarantee his death. You can come if you want.” Morgan brushed past Rossi angrily as he drew his weapon with his good arm. Dave rolled his eyes, following Morgan into the bunker.
“We clear one room at a time, together.” Rossi’s stern words let no room for argument as he turned the knob, allowing Morgan to enter with his gun drawn. “Clear.” The acting Unit Chief’s disappointment was evident in his voice. That’s when they heard a loud thud coming from a room down the hall. Time seemed to stand still as both men looked at the foreboding door.
Morgan was at the locked door in the blink of an eye, waiting only a millisecond to make sure Rossi was behind him before kicking it down. The sight inside made both men freeze for only a moment before Morgan was inside the room. In the center was a chair that had tipped over, an unmoving Hotch still tied to it. Rossi quickly cut the ropes, laying the beaten agent flat on his back. Morgan checked for Hotch’s pulse, pulling his hands back which were already sticky with Aaron’s blood only long enough to painfully remove his shirt from under his Kevlar vest and sling. He ripped Hotch’s shirt open to see the wounds clearly before attempting to clot the blood with his own shirt. He instantly wished he hadn’t seen the damage done to his superior’s body.
Rossi was hanging up from his call to the paramedics that had just arrived outside. He stood unmoving at his post at the door, not only because he needed to ensure the paramedics came to the right room, but because he felt like staring at Hotch was invading a level of privacy the Unit Chief deserved. He’d never want anyone to see him like this. It wasn’t right for such a strong man to look so broken. He was jarred from his thoughts as a team of paramedics rushed into the room with a backboard. Everything happened so fast.
Morgan let go of Hotch after two paramedics practically pulled him back. He couldn’t look away from the fallen agent, forced to watch helplessly as they quickly secured him to the backboard and rushed him into the ambulance. There was no discussion between Rossi and Morgan. Dave already knew he was staying with the crime scene while Derek went to the hospital. Now he just had to get the team to the scene. “Emily… we found Hotch… he’s still alive, Morgan’s riding with him to the hospital… no, he’s not conscious, but I need you all here to help find this UnSub.” He ended the call without much adieu, looking at the bloody scene before him. He was going to kill this son of a bitch.
---
EAST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
Emily closed her phone slowly, turning to face the team. “They found Hotch.” She put her hand up calmingly before the two agents erupted with questions. “I don’t know anything except that he’s unconscious and Morgan is with him on the way to the hospital. Rossi needs us at the scene… they didn’t find the UnSub.” Reid and JJ gave Emily a hollow look. They weren’t sure they’d be much help, considering the circumstances, but they’d be there for Hotch nevertheless. “Let’s go. The crime scene deteriorates by ten percent every thirty minutes it’s left unattended.” Reid put on his most professional voice he could, trying to suppress the anxiety he felt by rattling off more facts. He wasn’t sure he could handle being in his superior’s torture chamber, but he would force himself to try, even if it killed him.
JJ moved lifelessly, her stare tear filled, yet blank. How could this happen? Was Hotch going to survive? He was the strongest of all of them and now his life was most likely hanging by a thread. How could any of them survive if he didn’t?
Emily was compartmentalizing to the best of her ability. She couldn’t let her concerns for her supervisor take over her thoughts. She had to focus on finding his attacker. Hotch would get justice. She would ensure that.
Undisclosed City, VA
“Well, Aaron, I hate to leave you like this, but work calls…” The Photographer leaned in closely to his victim. Hotch fought to keep his eyes open, his plan was depending on whether he could stay conscious or not. He began to mumble under his breath, forcing the UnSub to lean in closer to hear him. “What’s that, Hotch?”
“Fuck… you…” Aaron used all the energy he had to bite down on the ski mask, pulling it from his captor’s head in the ensuing struggle. He met his captor’s eyes, taking in the man’s features. “Y… you!? How could you do this!? You’re –“ Hotch’s incredulous shouts were cut off by a punch directly to his jaw. The Photographer was pissed.
“You fucking dumb ass! You just signed your death warrant!” He pulled his fists back repeatedly, smashing them into the FBI agent’s face. His sick laughter filled the room as his hands were covered in Hotch’s blood. He stopped his assault just before Hotch could reach unconsciousness. The UnSub looked at his work proudly. Hotch’s nose was broken as was his right orbital bone which was protruding from his cheek just slightly. Blood was pouring from his mouth, his jaw severely dislocated. His brow was split open, adding to the blood that covered his face. His breathing was haggard and uneven, his head hanging weakly as he fought to stay conscious.
“Dey’ll… hind… oo…” His words weren’t even intelligible through his broken jaw.
“They’ll find me? Really? I’m counting on it, right after they find your cold, dead body, beaten beyond recognition.” He kicked his steel toed boot out, smiling at the resulting crack of Hotch’s ribs. Aaron wheezed in pain as he coughed up more blood, staining his shirt that hadn’t been white in days. He looked up at his attacker defiantly, giving him a blood smile. “I… win…”
The Photographer looked at him with fury. He was right. Hotch had forced him to kill him prematurely by finding out his identity. He wouldn’t admit that to the profiler, even if he already knew. “Really, Agent Hotchner? We’ll see what Jack thinks when he gets your body in a box.” The UnSub pulled out a .9mm hand gun, pointing it straight at Hotch before firing twice. “I’ll leave you to your long deserved death. It was fun, Aaron.” He threw the gun into the cell before leaving. The BAU would find Hotch dead. They would never be able to trust themselves again. His identity would stay a secret. He won.
Aaron’s eyes went wide at the searing pain, nearly bulging out of his head. He looked down at the holes in his chest and stomach that had blood flooding from them. He felt himself slowly losing his grip on reality. He was going to die at the hands of the bastard he worked to catch. Hotch has failed.
---
EAST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
“CLEAR!” Emily’s voice rang out over the silence of the bunker. JJ and Reid walked up behind her, guns drawn, an army of SWAT officers taking up the rear. They continued clearing each room until there was only one left at the end of the hall. The three agents could barely breathe through the anxiety as they approached the precarious door.
Reid kicked the locked door with all his might, putting the techniques Morgan had taught him into action as he kept his gun raised as the team entered. He wasn’t sure whether to be excited or deflated at the sight before him. “Morgan… there’s no one where. We’re going to keep searching.”
-- “Ok, Reid. We’ll let you know once we’ve cleared the bunker.”
“Be careful.” Spencer cut the radio communications on his end. Now they just had to wait and hope that Rossi and Morgan found Hotch before it was too late.
---
WEST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
“Rossi, we can’t wait for SWAT to get there! Reid, Prentiss, and JJ didn’t find him, so that can only mean Hotch is in there!” Morgan glared at the older agent furiously. How could he be so calm at a time like this? “Derek, I understand your frustration, but if we go in there without back up, we could get ourselves or Hotch killed.” Dave put his hands up in an attempt to calm the angry agent. It didn’t work. “Yea, and if we stay out here, Hotch dies for sure. I’d rather chance my life than guarantee his death. You can come if you want.” Morgan brushed past Rossi angrily as he drew his weapon with his good arm. Dave rolled his eyes, following Morgan into the bunker.
“We clear one room at a time, together.” Rossi’s stern words let no room for argument as he turned the knob, allowing Morgan to enter with his gun drawn. “Clear.” The acting Unit Chief’s disappointment was evident in his voice. That’s when they heard a loud thud coming from a room down the hall. Time seemed to stand still as both men looked at the foreboding door.
Morgan was at the locked door in the blink of an eye, waiting only a millisecond to make sure Rossi was behind him before kicking it down. The sight inside made both men freeze for only a moment before Morgan was inside the room. In the center was a chair that had tipped over, an unmoving Hotch still tied to it. Rossi quickly cut the ropes, laying the beaten agent flat on his back. Morgan checked for Hotch’s pulse, pulling his hands back which were already sticky with Aaron’s blood only long enough to painfully remove his shirt from under his Kevlar vest and sling. He ripped Hotch’s shirt open to see the wounds clearly before attempting to clot the blood with his own shirt. He instantly wished he hadn’t seen the damage done to his superior’s body.
Rossi was hanging up from his call to the paramedics that had just arrived outside. He stood unmoving at his post at the door, not only because he needed to ensure the paramedics came to the right room, but because he felt like staring at Hotch was invading a level of privacy the Unit Chief deserved. He’d never want anyone to see him like this. It wasn’t right for such a strong man to look so broken. He was jarred from his thoughts as a team of paramedics rushed into the room with a backboard. Everything happened so fast.
Morgan let go of Hotch after two paramedics practically pulled him back. He couldn’t look away from the fallen agent, forced to watch helplessly as they quickly secured him to the backboard and rushed him into the ambulance. There was no discussion between Rossi and Morgan. Dave already knew he was staying with the crime scene while Derek went to the hospital. Now he just had to get the team to the scene. “Emily… we found Hotch… he’s still alive, Morgan’s riding with him to the hospital… no, he’s not conscious, but I need you all here to help find this UnSub.” He ended the call without much adieu, looking at the bloody scene before him. He was going to kill this son of a bitch.
---
EAST BUNKER
Richmond, VA
Emily closed her phone slowly, turning to face the team. “They found Hotch.” She put her hand up calmingly before the two agents erupted with questions. “I don’t know anything except that he’s unconscious and Morgan is with him on the way to the hospital. Rossi needs us at the scene… they didn’t find the UnSub.” Reid and JJ gave Emily a hollow look. They weren’t sure they’d be much help, considering the circumstances, but they’d be there for Hotch nevertheless. “Let’s go. The crime scene deteriorates by ten percent every thirty minutes it’s left unattended.” Reid put on his most professional voice he could, trying to suppress the anxiety he felt by rattling off more facts. He wasn’t sure he could handle being in his superior’s torture chamber, but he would force himself to try, even if it killed him.
JJ moved lifelessly, her stare tear filled, yet blank. How could this happen? Was Hotch going to survive? He was the strongest of all of them and now his life was most likely hanging by a thread. How could any of them survive if he didn’t?
Emily was compartmentalizing to the best of her ability. She couldn’t let her concerns for her supervisor take over her thoughts. She had to focus on finding his attacker. Hotch would get justice. She would ensure that.