lies

ten|integrity

[emily]

We'd been stuck trying to find out where JJ was. Garcia was searching for information whilst we were all hitting dead ends. "Right, JJ's good. She's good at hiding things so we probably won't get much from her. But this Tivon Askari guy, he's the one we need to profile to find her." Hotch said.

"Wait, I might have something." Garcia called from the living room where she was and we all gathered around. "I put a tag on the key word from the file and someone just searched "Integrity" in the secure database." "Can you track where they are?" Rossi asked. "I'm trying, I'm searching for the IP address right now." "Hurry, Garcia, we don't have a lot of time." Morgan urged. "I-I know that, it's just this guy is good and... wait.. got it. I have a location, it's at Kramer Industries, they have a secure network server, and it's about twenty minutes away." We all jumped into action. "Garcia, send us the coordinates." "Bring her home safe." She said as we rushed out.

Sitting in the back of the SUV, all I could think about was that note that she had written. She'd written it to me, even though I was "dead". Of all people, she chose to tell me that she had a miscarriage. Why not Reid or Morgan or Garcia? They were all close friends and they shared everything, but she didn't say a word to them. What could that possibly mean? "Hey, Prentiss, you good?" Morgan asked me. I nodded, still deep in thought. "She'll be alright, she's strong." Rossi said. "I know. I just her back safely." 

We arrived quickly, thanks to Morgan's reckless driving, and ran straight inside. "Where is you server main frame?" Hotch asked the guy at the desk, completely ignoring the security guard who was running over to us. "Basement. You have to take the stairs." "Alright, let's go." Hotch led us down to the basement where we then split up to cover more ground. There were very little lights and it was getting colder, the further we went. 

A loud bang stopped me in my tracks. I looked at Hotch. "Was that a gun?" I asked with a worried voice. He couldn't answer me. We carried on moving and reached an unlocked door with no window, but we could hear scuffling and muffled screams. "On the count of three." Hotch counted down and then I used all of my strength to kick the door in. It slammed against the frame, causing Tivon to freeze. He was holding JJ up with a knife to her throat. The blade was pressing into her skin and I could see drops of scarlet blood. "Askari, let her go." I said firmly. "Or what? What are you going to do, huh? You and your country and its backward ways don't know anything. Fools, you didn't even realise that I existed until I took one of your valuable, precious FBI agents." The blade was dangerously close to her carotid artery. I had to think quickly. JJ was slowly becoming more aware and I knew that there was only one option. She needed to look at me. "This isn't about JJ, is it?" I asked. At hearing her name, she opened her eyes slowly and lifted her head slightly. "It's bigger than that." Hotch added. 

JJ and I locked eyes and then I yelled "Drop!" She pushed against him and slipped out of his grasp just as Hotch fired a bullet into the air. Tivon fell beside her and for a moment I was terrified that we'd shot the wrong person. But then I could hear JJ sobbing and immediately rushed to her side. "G-get him away from me." She begged and I slowly helped her to her feet. She was still unsteady but Hotch carefully placed her arm over his neck and lifted her into his arms. "It's okay, we've got you." He whispered. "H-hastings. F-find him." She whispered before drifting out of consciousness.

As it turns out, Hastings was working with Askari all along. Reid and Morgan and Rossi were able to box him in on the roof and, after a struggle, he fell to his death outside the building. JJ was free, she didn't need to worry about them anymore. I wanted to tell her the news but the ambulance had already departed. "She didn't have a lot of time, the paramedics said, but we can meet her there." Hotch told me. "I'll call Garcia." Morgan said and he walked away to deliver the good news.

I couldn't stop thinking about what JJ had been through whilst she was here. Did they hurt her? Did they ... no, Emily, don't go there. I forced myself to try and think of the positives. She didn't give up, and she didn't give in. She fought to stay alive and she was going to be okay. I told myself that over and over again, she was going to be okay.

We all gathered around the SUV to hear what information Garcia had managed to uncover. "Integrity was a database that was created after the task force disbanded. The mission had been compromised after it was revealed that Askari had been a mole and secretly siphoning off information to his own people. They uncovered a lot of surveillance images and sensitive information that could potentially cause a lot of damage on US soil so they kept it safe, but JJ and Mat Cruz, the two surviving members of the team, were given a code to access it should they need to. Cruz is fine, they weren't able to get to him, and the Integrity database is going to be destroyed for good." "That's a relief." Reid said. "Garcia, we'll see you at the hospital." Hotch said and we climbed back into the SUV to drive there. I was the most nervous out of everyone to see JJ because there was that nagging question that I just couldn't shake. Why me?