The Beauty of Knowing

Chapter 8

     Whether it be familial, romantic, or a platonic love, love has a power to hurt you like no other weapon. "'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all." Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It felt as if I had gained everything only to have it ripped away. My life was in danger. I knew they were coming to rescue me, but the question remained. Would they arrive on time?

     "What do you got for me, babygirl?" Morgan asked when his phone rang. The team was on their way to rescue Ashley at the parking lot Spencer had pointed out. The sirens were blaring and Hotch kept his foot on the gas. Morgan was in the passenger seat while Reid sat in the back. Rossi was driving the other SUV with Prentiss in the passenger seat and JJ in the back.

    "I've got one man who fits our description." Garcia spoke quickly. "His name is Michael Zaxs. He used to be blind due to cataracts and only recently had surgery to have them removed a few years ago. He has a history of being bullied in school until he was pulled out to be home schooled by his mother when he was ten. She was single and took care of him his whole life. But here's the thing his mother died only a few weeks before the first explosion and she was a brunette."

     "Thanks, Garcia." Morgan said before ending the call.

     "That's the stresser." Hotch stated.

     "That must be the reason why he's choosing women with such light eyes. Having cataracts would create a similar effect." Reid talked rapidly from the back. "He's taking his anger out on himself and his mother. The question is why."

     "Maybe like Prentiss said, it's a self image thing." Morgan reasoned. "His mother takes care of him his whole life, tells him how handsome he is. He's finally able to see, only to have all that self hatred from the bullying return when he sees his face for the first time."

     "Turn left." Reid yelped when Hotch nearly missed the turn.

     Michael dragged her to a car and shoved her inside the trunk.

    Ashley didn't fight back. She waited until she heard him slam the car door and the car start. As soon as the engine rumbled and the tires rolled, she frantically tried to find the trunk release. Her fingers scrambled for the sides of the car scraping uselessly in the dark.

     All too soon the car stopped and Ashley froze. Her heart pounded in her ears. 

     The trunk lifted and Michael peered down at her. Over his arm hung a bag. He held up a gun and pointed it at her, "Get up." He ordered.

     Ashley pushed herself into a sitting position and threw her legs over the edge of the trunk hopping down.

     Michael grabbed her arm, jamming the gun into her ribs. He dragged her a few yards away where a chair was. There was a metal plate on the seat attached to wires.

     "Sit down."

     Ashley turned to face him, willing herself to be calm. "No." She replied.

     The gun clicked, "Sit down."

     Ashley tentatively sat down. The metal was cold against her skin. She scanned the street hoping the BAU would show up in time. Had she made a mistake, a miscalculation, in offering herself as bait?

     Michael went to work around her, attaching wires.

     The silence was deafening. Ashley strained her ears to pick up anything that would signal a rescue. Faintly she could hear sirens in the distance.