"Morgan." JJ entered the room briskly, TV remote in one hand.
"What's up?" The muscular man stood from the desk, watching as JJ turned the flat screen on.
"What is reportedly being called a routine questions and answers meeting by Colorado Child Services, has turned into a violent and deadly standoff between Colorado Authorities and a fringe religious group known as the Separatarian Sect..." The TV produced, coming from the live reporter on screen.
"JJ, that's not the ranch where Prentiss and Reid-"
"They're still inside." She interrupted.
"Hotch!" Morgan shouted so loudly it caught the attention of the entire bullpen, and Rossi and Hotch through their closed door offices. "The TV. Prentiss and Reid." He said as the men came out of their offices.
"...No one knows for sure how many people are inside. It is believed 3 of the Child Service members are still trapped in the compound..."
Just then, all the phones began ringing, signalling them as leads for hostage rescue and support, meaning the remainder of the team would be heading to Colorado. The TV report continued, giving them more context on the current Colorado circumstances occurring. "...Turned deadly when the Colorado State Police officers tried to serve a warrant. Colorado Attorney General, Jim Wells, says the reclusive cult has been the subject of a 6 month weapons investigation..."
"6 months? We didn't check?" Morgan asked.
Aaron at this point had tuned out the entirety of the new reporter's voice, and barely listened to Morgan, not wanting to hear how Emily - the woman he had yet told he loves - is in a life or death situation. All the worst things that could have happened, had.
"No. We checked. I had ATF call Wells. He told ATF there were no pending state investigations. He lied." JJ reassured.
"Why?" The Italian man spoke up, over the repeating and overbearing news reporter.
"Wells is challenging the governor in the next election. He thought that ATF was about to poach his big election-launching weapons bust. Now it's clear he didn't know there were FBI agents there. He just thought the best time to serve a state warrant was when the kids were safe, inside the school, being interviewed."
"What do we know about the Sect?"
Aaron stayed quiet, not wanting to speak out of fear of all emotions blurting out. He hadn't told Leila the full extent of what was going on - Belle knew parts and wasn't thrilled -, and he dreaded the fact that when Emily next sees him, he'll be a pool of emotions - that's if she makes it out of there.
"Liberty Ranch was founded in 1980 by libertarian, Leo Kane." Garcia spoke, popping onto the screens within the jet. "He created it as a self-sustaining commune."
"Libertarians believe that everyone has the right to do what they want as long as they aren't infringing on the rights of others." Morgan added.
"But libertarians aren't religious. Clearly this Sect abandoned libertarian principles."
"Benjamin Cyrus, the current leader, introduced religion 8 years ago when Kane left." Hotch plucked up the courage to talk, after holding back his emotions once again.
"Garcia, what do we got on Cyrus?" Morgan asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"Ah, we got bupkis. It's like the guy never cast a shadow on the known universe." These words turned Hotch's stomach. It's always the ones with clean records and perfect attendances to surprise you most. "However his predecessor, Leo Kane, is doing a 17 year stretch at Deerfield Federal Prison. Apparently libertarians do not like paying taxes."
"17 years for tax evasion?" Derek stated, skeptically.
"Oh no. That would be 2 years for tax evasion and 15 for going after 4 IRS agents with a Louisville slugger." Garcia said, trying to slightly lighten the mood. From the perturbed look on Hotch's face, it didn't work.
"Let's have Kane brought to the scene. He's our best chance at finding out some idea who we're dealing with." Aaron said before getting up and moving seats, furthest away from the group, struggling to contain emotions.
-
The team arrived in the now-dust covered SUV, pulling up at the tent setup about half a mile from the ranch buildings.
"Dave, they've left the choice of negotiators up to me." Aaron said, hanging back with Rossi.
"I taught most of the Hostage Negotiation Unit, you want a recommendation?"
"I'm making you the lead negotiator."
"Me?"
"Why go to the students when I have the teacher?"
"Because the teacher is emotionally involved, so is the agent in command."
"I know I am, believe me. This is a unique situation. We have two agents who could affect the outcome on the inside, but I can't be objective and I trust none other than you."
"True, but I can't be objective either! I know them too well." Rossi protested.
"This outcome depends as much on our ability to predict the moves of Emily and Reid as Cyrus. That's why you're the best man for the job."
"Assuming that Reid and Prentiss are still in a condition to make moves."
"Dave, I know how bad this is - she's my girlfriend! That's why I want you doing the talking."
Rossi caved in, accepting the role, as an annoying, agitated and bitter voice came out from behind them, complaining about authority. "You're obviously not in charge. I can see that!"
"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm under direct orders from the FBI." A man replied.
"I'm the Attorney General of this state. I demand to know why I wasn't told that the FBI was sending undercover agents into the Separatarian ranch."
"The only thing that you're in the position to demand is a lawyer." Aaron interrupted the dispute between the two men - one being the current attorney general.
"Who the hell are you?" The high pitched voice replied, distastefully.
"I'm Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief. I'm the guy who's gonna tell the Attorney General of the United States whether to charge you with obstructing a Federal Investigation or negligent homicide." He stated, in no mood to play around.
"You can't talk to me like that."
"Get off my crime scene!" Aaron said sternly, stepping forth and hovering above the small, unjustified man until he walked off in a huff, finally giving in. After being given the rundown of the situation by Dan Torre, the man the Attorney General was pestering, they began their negotiating process, starting with JJ minimising the news coverage.
They entered the small security breach room, briefing Torre's men. "We call this the 'Minimal Loss Scenario'. Every person we get out is a life saved. We won't save them all." Rossi turned to a very distracted Hotch before continuing. "All of us have to be prepared to accept that situation."
Morgan took over, displaying the pyramid of cults. Starting on the top, the leader - Benjamin Cyrus. Die hard believers - the men - on the middle base, and the largest base being followers consisting of women and children.
"The 'Trickle, Flow, Gush' strategy is designed to get base followers out. First one or two, then three or four, then as many as we can as fast as we can - and if at any point it starts to go bad, we go in." Aaron added to the profile.
Once the whole profile was given and all bases had been covered for the beginning of negotiating, the phone call was made. A small child talking was the first thing they heard over in the tents before Cyrus pulled the phone away and began talking.
"This is Benjamin Cyrus, who am I talking to?"
"David Rossi, I'm an FBI agent. We sent the state police away. There's just us and the local sheriff. All we want to do is resolve this before anyone else gets hurt"
"Then leave us alone." The raspy voice replied.
"I'm afraid we can't do that, Benjamin. One of the SWAT agents bled out on the way to the hospital so let's just stop this before things get worse. Please, just put down your guns and come out."
"We're believers, Dave. We believe that God says what he means and he means what he says. His laws don't depend on what state you live in."
Morgan and Hotch were beginning to get frustrated, knowing this could potentially lead on for days. "I have no issue with your beliefs."
"You don't but the state does."
"I can't answer for other people."
"Oh, God will answer for everyone in the final battle I've foreseen."
"That's why I'm here - to make sure that this is not that battle."
"We shall see."
"Now, the 3 Child Services workers..."
"One of them is dead. It wasn't us"
Aaron's stomach dropped. A chance one out of three of them are dead, with the most high risk being the secret FBI agents, the odds weren't in their favour. He looked to the floor, concealing the gloss beginning to cover his eyes and bit his lip.
"I need a name... to inform the family."
"Her name was Nancy Lunde." Both Aaron and Morgan let out quiet but hefty breaths they weren't aware they were holding in and closed their eyes, still feeling uneasy that there was just Spencer and Emily inside.
"Ok. Now, please, Benjamin, send out your wounded. I promise you they'll be well taken care of." Rossi tried to negotiate.
"With enough supplies, we can tend to our own."
After telling Cyrus that Rossi would bring them medical kits at first light, the cult leader hung up the phone.
-
David, as promised, at first light brought medical kits to the, viewing all the followers and 'Die Hard believers' sat within the church, Reid and Prentiss sat in one of the church pews - safe... for now.
"Reid and Prentiss are ok." Rossi said, stepping up into the security breach they had set up, keeping all eyes on the building and an open line of communications if necessary.
"What about Cyrus?"
"He's too calm. It- It's like he was waiting for this to happen and now that it has, he feels vindicated."
"I got a signal." One of the tech men said, headphone to his ear. "I'm getting a signal here."
Over the reading, Cyrus' voice could be heard talking inside the church. "We will be with them soon. We have drank the poison together."
Mass suicide.
Aaron, who now held the headphone to his ear, only prayed the two agents hadn't fallen under circumstance to drink - and had they, there would be no way of helping. He slammed the equipment down, started pacing the room whilst trying to soothe his forehead and the intrusive thoughts within.
"This doesn't fit. I looked him in the eye. He was calm. Lucid."
"They're committing mass suicide." Aaron said to Dan, who just walked into the breaching area.
"We don't know that for sure."
"Rossi, he just said it!" Morgan snapped, holding a headphone to his ear like Aaron was again.
"We're ready to go." Dan said.
"If we go in there, people are gonna die!" Rossi persisted.
"People are already dying!" Aaron snapped, not being able to compose his emotions much more. Just then, Cyrus' voice rang through the readings, calm and collective, stating the issues they needn't face anymore - for they were dying.
"What do we do?" Prentiss whispered to the boy genius next to her.
"Nothing." he said, staring at a man in the font of the church.
"We have to do something! These people just took poison."
"Cyrus just told them they did and I think he's bluffing." Prentiss pondered his question, asking why. "Just after he told them about the poison, he waited for them to start to react. Then he nodded at Cole and he started writing. Look." Prentiss' eyes followed the room, witnessing mixed emotions. Some sobbing. Some composed. Some numb - like Jessica's. "They're scanning the audience, looking for reactions."
"They're writing down the names of the people who're crying."
"It's a loyalty list."
"So he knows who will follow him to the end." She added, agitated by the actions.
Aaron, who sat with his head in between his hands, listening to the recordings, was being shouted at by Rossi, who was trying to convince him nothing was taking place as of this moment. "Jim Jones pulled the same stunt! They did a test run just like this years before they did the real thing!"
"Prepare your men to go in." Aaron ordered, headache pulsating through his skin. Once again, the cult leader spoke, reassuring his followers of the lack of poison. Rossi was right. "Dan-"
"Instead, a test of faith because you're advisory, the Devil, walks about as a roaring lion!" He shouted through the echoing church.
"Tell them to stand down."
"Yes, Sir." Dan said, replying to Aaron, who hunched over a chair trying to breath properly. "Nice call." He whispered to Rossi, who nodded in response.
"Former Sect leader's here." JJ said, coming into the breaching room, causing Morgan to take initiative and talk to him. "Hotch, you ok?"
"We just need them out of there." He replied, flustered.
-
"Charles Mulgrew is his real name, Charles Mulgrew. His mother was five months pregnant when she showed up at our doorstep. He turned out to be one of the smart ones. Amazing memory that kid had, anything he read he could repeat back to you and he did. Malty little son of a bitch." The man in the orange jumpsuit said, long beard moving with his words.
"Why'd he leave the ranch?" Morgan interrogated.
"When he was 17, a couple of our young girls came to me and said that he'd been... messing with them."
"You mean sexually?"
"Yes, Sir I do. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a libertarian but those little girls were too young for a 17 year old to be messing with."
"So you kicked him out for that?"
"Yes, Sir I did. His mother took him to Kentucky. Hadn't heard anything from him for years and when he finally showed up again, he said his mother had died. He found God and he wanted to come home."
The interrogation continued onwards, with Morgan finding out how Cyrus overpowered Kane into giving up the ranch - threats with a gun.
-
"Charles Mulgrew. Convicted in Kentucky at the age of 18 for 3 counts of statutory rape." Garcia said, over the phone.
"So we need to talk to the warden."
"Way ahead of you honey. Mr Kentucky warden said that once inside, Mulgrew found religion and became a model citizen."
"Well it's not that hard to behave when you're in protective custody the whole time." Morgan said.
"General population's a rough place for a child molester."
"No, no no I don't think you guys understand. He was a model citizen. This guy volunteered at the prison hospital, the AIDS ward. He was reading to prisoners dying of HIV." She explained.
"Good stuff." Morgan added.
"Damn straight, now get our friends back, baby." Garcia hung up the call. The team realised Ben wouldn't come out, not if he thought he was going back to prison under child molestation allegations - meaning they had to lie to him.
"You need to see this." JJ said, bringing her computer over to the table in which they sat at.
"...Now well into its second day, the standoff at the Separatarian Sect ranch has now been taken over by the FBI. There was much speculation in regard to hostages, but anonymous sources inside the state Attorney General's office have told us there is an undercover FBI agent currently being held inside the Separatarian Sect ranch. Hostage negotiators say they are making headway with the Sect's leadership and are hopeful for a positive outcome..."
These words made everyone's head turn to mush for now Cyrus knew one of them was an agent.
-
"Me. It's me."
Cyrus put the gun away from Reid's face, turning to the other bench and grabbed Prentiss by the hair, dragging her along the dirt covered tunnel floor, up to a smaller room, as she groaned in pain.
"I told you not to put me in this position!" Cyrus said, before taking a swing at Emily's face, causing her to groan in pain. The team were listening in through the signal they reached, hearing her being tossed and kicked around, winding her.
"We've got to go in." Aaron said, in between taking off and putting on the headphones, refusing to listen to another second of the pain his girlfriend was in.
"We'd be risking the lives of everyone in there." Rossi settled him.
"Get up!" Cyrus said, before punching Emily senseless, and straight into a mirror, shattering beneath her as she fell to the wall for support, in agony, still groaning. After citing a bible verse, he grabbed her by her now ratted hair and through her against the wall harshly, a sound in which echoed through the headphones and into the unit chief's ears. Unable to hide his emotions much longer, his eyes began to gloss over, letting one tear fall onto the dry, dust covered floor as he looked down.
"I can take it."
"Oh, you can take it?" He said before taking another punch, plummeting her to the storage rack behind her.
"Wait, wait, listen. Listen to what she's saying." Rossi said, causing Aaron to put his headphones on again.
"I can take it." Prentiss repeated.
"She's antagonising him!" Morgan blurted out.
"She's not talking to him." The older man said.
"She's talking to us. She's telling us not to come in." Aaron said, still listening.
"Pride comes before the fall." Cyrus said before taking one last punch and throwing her to ground as if she was trash, leaving her helpless, alone and in pain. Morgan and Rossi threw their headphones down, unable to listen any longer, as Aaron continued, not wanting to miss something important. "Tie her up. Put her upstairs."
-
After Reid had convinced Cyrus and Cole to test the negotiator - being Rossi - in which the team had heard the whole conversation, Cole told the two that some followers had thought about leaving since the loyalty test. Rossi called, following Reid's plan.
"I will release a child, if you tell me the identity of the FBI agent. I promise no harm will come to them from this point forward."
"I can't give you that information."
"I will send the child now." As promised, Cyrus sent out the smallest child, letting her wander down the steps of the building. Morgan and Dan prepared to take her as Rossi and Aaron stayed back, listening to the phone call. After Morgan had secured the girl, Rossi gave Cyrus the information of Emily's and they hung up. "Assemble everyone in the chapel. Get agent Prentiss down here."
Once everyone assembled, Cyrus began. "It's come to my attention some of our brothers and sisters have lost their faith in God. That they no longer love us. They wanna abandon us. So when I call out your name, please stand." As Cyrus called out everyone's names, Reid made his over to a very battered and bruised Emily.
"He looks pissed." She said quietly looking back at the cult leader, and then to Reid, whose face showed nothing but sorrow and guilt. "Oh, it's not as bad as it looks."
"I'm so sorry."
"Look at who he's releasing." Their eyes scattered across the followers as they stood to Cyrus' order.
"It's the ones who failed the loyalty test. I'll get word to the team, wait for a sign from outside and then wait for the time for the raid to come." Reid walked away from Emily, heading for Cyrus. "I told her she shouldn't have lied to you like that." He lied, covering his tracks.
"To either of us. Take her back." He ordered. "Those of you that are standing, please collect your belongings and report to the front hallway immediately." Cyrus commanded, showing signs of good faith and sending out more women, children and unprecedented followers.
-
"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnel but I need to know when you're coming." Prentiss said, as Dan replayed the message to Morgan.
"Let's go."
Dan and Morgan sneakily arrived, hiding behind hay bales opposite Prentiss' room of holding - her signature boot being the only thing visible through the bright light. Morgan shone the sniper light through the shades, catching her attention.
"Ok, ok, I got you. What time?" She said. Morgan blinked the light on and off three times, indicating 3 AM for the raid to begin. "3 AM?" She reiterated. The red light moved up and down, reassuring her. "Understood." She breathed out. "Reid is on the first floor somewhere with Cyrus, and please remember there are children here. Someone's coming." Prentiss put her foot away from the shades, closing them, cutting off all communications she had. Kathy came in, glass of water in hand for Emily. After taking a long sip, she said "Cyrus is planning a mass suicide. You made that 911 call."
Kathy's face winced, for her secret had been outed. "This is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't made that call."
"You were trying to protect your daughter, I get it."
"There were other girls before Jessie. He would marry them in secret, and after a while, he'd take another, and we weren't permitted to speak of it. And- so when she asked for my consent, I wanted to just take her and run but I was afraid she wouldn't leave him."
"You wanted us to take her?" Emily asked.
"I- I- I wanted to save her from Cyrus."
"I can give you another chance. The FBI is coming here at 3 AM. I need you to gather Jessica and the kids, the other women, get them into the basement just before 3 AM."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I have faith that you are a strong enough woman to do the right thing for Jessica, I would for my girls." Kathy left without a word, leaving Emily in a confused and hazy state of mind - more so than before.
-
"I know I can't go in there." Aaron said, staring at the chapel on the ranch grounds.
"I'm going." Rossi stated.
"If something happens to Emily or Reid, uh, I- I don't know." He looked down, shaking his head slightly in anger, resentment, guilt for sending them in there.
"You love her. It's not easy watching the ones you love in danger."
As everyone prepared - the team by putting their gear on, Kathy gathering the children and Cyrus setting the bombs up - Cole came and told Cyrus there was something going on. They looked out the doors, to see the headlights of the issued SUV's driving through the darkness slowly. "They lied to us."
"Should we do it now?"
"No. Let them get closer."
-
Smoke bombs thrown into part of the tunnel, followed by SWAT agents shooting a Die Hard believer in the back as he guarded the exits, giving access to the building through multiple ways as they travelled through the tunnel.
"Emily, Emily are you alright?" As the fragile and bruised agent lead the followers through the tunnels and into the security of the FBI. She limped to Rossi who held her upright, too weak to do it on her own. "Where's Reid?"
"He's in the chapel with Cyrus."
"We've gotta get you out of here and to Aaron." Rossi suggested sternly.
"No! We've gotta get Reid!"
"Prentiss, I will get Reid. Get outta here, go to Hotch." Just as she was about to walk out, Jessie began screaming at her mom and running back through the tunnel towards the chapel, Kathy behind her screaming her name.
"Torre, get your boys. Let's do this now!" Morgan ordered, going through the tunnels after telling Kathy he would get Jessica for her. Morgan made his way up into the chapel, bearing witness to Reid on the floor in pain and Cole and Cyrus with guns and the remote for the bombs, immediately shooting him dead.
"Clear!"
"You alright Kid?" Morgan asked, helping Reid off the floor.
"Fine. Where's Emily?"
"We got her outta here." Jessica walked into the chapel, seeing her husband lying lifeless with bullet holes through his chest. "Sweetheart, come with me! We need to get you outta here! Let's go, right now!" Before they knew it, Jessica was reaching down and grabbing the remote Cyrus had dropped when he lost his life.
As if in slow motion, Reid yelled "Run!" and headed out the door with Morgan as Jessica pushed it, blowing up the chapel and school.
"Reid?! Morgan?!" Emily yelled, staring at the blown up entrance of the chapel, covered in flames and shrapnel. "Reid? Morgan?" She said again, more plaintively, scanning the men as they stood coughing until her eyes landed on them. "Oh, God." She limped up the steps, meeting the boys as they coughed their way down, lungs full of smoke. As Reid took her in an embrace, she whispered "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." wincing in pain as he hugged her bruised and cracked ribs.
She turned around, darkness of the night swallowing the figures before seeing Hotch, stood at the bottom of the stairs, flames from the building shining through his glossed eyes. He walked up to the trio, minding the rubble and glass across the floor, and made her way to her, immediately enveloping her into a safe hug.
"I love you." He said, pulling away from her reluctantly after a while, meeting her eyes as tears strolled down her bruised cheeks. The cheeks that, at those words, produced a smile so wide, despite all the excruciating pain she was feeling, before kissing him heavily.
The joy and love that filled her heart was overwhelming.
But she didn't say it back.
For she couldn't.
As her world went dark...