Classified light- a criminal minds fan fiction

Family Christmas (2)

Everything was dark.

Darker than ever before- but that didn't seem to be the power cuts fault when Hotch used his phone torch upstairs and saw the bed empty apart from one key thing, blood.

He had been out picking Jack up from school when the power went out, the puppies in the back of the car from being picked up from Zach's who had been trying, and failing, to ring Peter all morning with the side wide power cuts that were happening and he was meant to be getting back from his trip today.

When Hotch came back home, the house seemed too empty- even from just at the front door he could tell something was wrong.

"Cameron?" He called out as he came up the stairs, pausing when he saw the bed where he left her sleeping completely empty other than blood and her mother's necklace.

Hotch went to freak out before he heard Jack yell from downstairs and the dogs barks go from puppies immediately to protectors like Cameron had taught them.

"Jack?!" Hotch ran down the stairs, grabbing Jack and pushing him behind him when he saw what was at the glass back door stood in the dark of the early evening- he almost couldn't believe it.

"Open this door or I will walk through the glass and I will not pay for the repairs" Carlos spoke in his usual thick Russian accent.

"You're alive?" Is all Hotch could say.

"What a stupid question, clearly I am alive" Carlos mocked in his usual deadpan tone and pulled open the locked door with ease.

"D-dad-" Jack stammered in fear as the dogs barked aggressively at Carlos, waiting for the command to attack that Hotch didn't quite know if he should say or not.

"It's okay Jack, this is an old friend of Cameron's-" Hotch went to explain before remembering that this 'friend' of Cameron's had tried to murder her again months ago.

Carlos spotted Hotch's glare and sighed as he picked up the barking dogs with ease, commanding them in Russian to be quiet which seemed to somehow work, "I have many sins to pay for, many crimes to do time for- hurting the child of Sokolov will be the top of my list of them, when we find her."

"What do you mean when we find her? Where the hell is she?" Hotch was letting his panic show now, he had no idea what was happening- for all he knew Cameron could have just gone on a fever enduced walk, but that didn't seem right especially with the blood on the bed.

"That depends on what was left" Carlos pushed past him and was up the stairs in 3 strides, not so subtly judging their house as he went.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened-" Hotch walked after him, a very confused Jack following behind.

"Well it seems I am still walking so-" Carlos mocked, still holding both dogs who were confused and trying to decide if they should attack or give into the cuddle.

"Enough!" Hotch yelled, pulling out his gun as they reached the bedroom and aiming it at Carlos who paused in his stride when he saw the blood and necklace on the bed.

In a terrifying slow motion, he turned to Hotch with pure murder in his eyes.

"Did you hurt her?" He spoke slowly, an unspoken threat in his voice.

"What? Of course not!"

"Then explain the blood!" Carlos's voice suddenly boomed and there was a knife in his hand seemingly from nowhere.

"B-blood?" Jack walked up the stairs and paused in shock before running to the bed, "no! Her necklace! Cameron never goes anywhere without her necklace!"