Finishing The Deed (Book #2 of Trails of a Psychopath)

Its Going to Be Alright

    Chapter One

"Love is the child of illusion and at the same time the mother is the teacher."
~ Miguel De Unamuno

~J.J's POV!~

I couldn't yet comprehend that she was gone.

   I can't believe she walked away from us...again. She slipped right through our fingers. It was too late to try anything. They had a gun to her head and two of our men were bleeding to death. I watched with a blank stare as the door was busted in and officers poured inside.
   Rossi wiped the corners of his eyes and rushed to my side, trying to help me to my feet. I was too in shock to notice his warm hands touching mine. All I could hear was white noise. I felt disconnected from my own body.

Not again.

"J.J!? Can you hear me?" His voice rang in my ears and I eventually turned my heavy head to look at him.

   I could feel tears running down my face and began to slowly thaw out of my paralyzed state. I hastily wiped them with the arm of my sleeve and shook my head. Rossi's gentle eyes softened and he nodded to me. Paramedics and officers were crawling all over the place. All these innocent people, dead.
   Reid and Morgan were lifted into the ambulance and rushed off to the hospital. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and saw Hotch rush in the bar. His eyes locked on us and he quickly made his way. He watched the flashing blue and red lights fade away as they rushed my two closest friends to the hospital.

"Reid and Morgan were shot. Rachel was kidnapped...again. Three men, from what we could see. They followed us the entire night. They started shooting as we made an escape for the exit. They took her Hotch, she's gone...again." My voice was choked and I swallowed a lump in my throat.

   Hotch balled his fists together and I saw his jaw clench. There were people everywhere, so much noise. My stomach churned at the sound of crying somewhere behind me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was a professional, I needed to start acting like one.

"We have to meet them at the hospital. Maybe Morgan and Reid saw something we didn't. I need to call and see how the kids are doing." My voice was still shaky and I tried my best to stop my legs from shaking.

   What are we going to do? One minute we finally think Charlotte is home free, and then she's ripped from us in seconds. This time though, we may lose her for good.
   Hotch said he would meet us at the hospital and started walking off to talk to witnesses. I took deep breaths as the paramedics came and checked me out. The only thing I had was a pulled muscle and some deep bruises.
   Penelope was sobbing at my side, tears rolling down her face and smearing her blue eyeliner. She tried to clean herself up, but it was evident she was badly shaken.
  I reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards Rossi as the three of us exited the bar. I squinted against the harsh police lights flashing red and blue.
    We climbed into Rossie's car, Penelope sitting in the back and me in the passenger seat. I called my husband, trying to think of how I was even going to tell him. When he answered, I tried my best to explain everything.  Immediately I could tell he was having a hard time keeping the mood light while the kids were around.

"How we are going to tell Charlotte?" He whispered into the phone, the background noise of the kids giggling and the constant voices from the TV.

I sighed into the phone and blinked the tears away.

"I-I don't know, Honey. We need to tell her soon, maybe tomorrow would be the best. Let her have her night before we give her the news. I love you."

   The other end was silent and I could slightly hear the shaky breathing on the other line. Garcia sniffled behind me, my eyes flickering to the rear view mirror.