She's Back

Experience

However, what Emily didn't know as the unsub marched them towards their torture and ultimate death, was that Derek, Dave, and Aaron were driving towards the Piggly Wig now. They had no luck finding Rodney Pierce at the other 2 bars, and were hoping that he would be at the Piggly Wig still. Aaron had just parked the car across the street from the Piggly Wig's entrance and only a few feet down from the street where Emily and Laila were being held hostage by the unsub.

"Alright, same thing as before," Hotch said to Derek and Rossi as they exited the car. As they started to walk over, it was Dave who noticed the 3 shadowy figures on the street next to the Piggly Wig first. The first 2 were definitely female; the one closest to them was shaking and stumbling a little bit, the second one was right in front of the man and was walking with slow, assured steps.

Dave nudged Derek and Hotch as they were crossing the street. "Don't make any obvious movements, but I am pretty sure that is our unsub with his next 2 victims," Dave said in a low voice as he slightly nodded his head toward the side street. Hotch and Derek saw the 3 figures and knew that Dave was right. Still, they kept walking to the front entrance, not wanting to appear suspicious to the unsub.

Instead of going inside, the 3 men stood outside the bar, making sure the unsub couldn't see them. They decided that the best way to apprehend Rodney was to confront him directly, although the fact that he had 2 more women with him complicated things. Still, they weren't going to let him get away this time. Before making their move, Derek radioed JJ and Reid to let them know they had found Rodney, and to come to the Piggly Wig quickly.

Dave walked calmly around the corner to the side street first. He was just in time; Rodney and the hostages were almost at the truck parked directly in front of Rossi. "Rodney Pierce. STOP," Rossi ordered, raising his gun at the unsub. There were no streetlights, so it was difficult for Rossi to see the man as he and the two other women stopped about 15 feet from him.

"Get out of my way, or I'm going to kill them both right now," Rodney growled at Rossi. Rossi could see him pull another gun out of his pocket and point it at the back of the first girl, the one who couldn't stop shaking.

"Let them go, Rodney," Derek said, stepping out from the corner of the bar. He walked next to Rossi, gun pointed at the unsub as well. "You're outnumbered, man. Time to let them go," Derek repeated.

"Ha! Outnumbered? It seems to me that we're even now," Rodney laughed, pushing the women a few steps forward. Still, Rossi and Morgan couldn't make out their faces.

"How do you suppose that, Rodney?" Aaron's quiet voice echoed throughout the street as he finally joined his team members. Unlike Derek and Dave, Aaron kept his gun holstered at his side, though he still made sure to let Rodney see it was there. "There's 3 of us, and only 1 of you," Aaron said calmly. "This does not look to be in your favor."

"But I'm the one with the women. There's no way in hell you're going to shoot when I have the 2 of them in front me," Rodney said cockily. He finally stepped into the light, shoving the 2 women in front of him with the butts of his guns. It was then that Aaron, Dave, and Derek could finally see the faces of his hostages.

Aaron's heart stopped cold as he looked into the frightened, dark brown eyes of Emily Prentiss. She looked back at him, not daring to move a muscle. Next to him, Rossi and Derek were also shocked and afraid to see their friend being held captive at gunpoint, though none of them let him see that fear that now surrounded all their hearts.

Despite how angry she might have been at Aaron, as soon as she saw him standing in front of her, she knew she and Laila were going to be safe. She trusted Aaron Hotchner with her whole life, and knew that he would do anything to save her because she would do the same for him. She would do the same for all of her team members.