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BITTERSWEET
:: v. | wrong place (part 2)

Vanessa could see it in her eyes, Cole was scared and she didn't know if they were going to make it out alive. She looked at jennifer and Jennifer gave her a certain look, as if to play along. Vanessa looked down at the floor and gulped before looking back up at the man who had the gun pointing at her.

"Where's Miguel?" Vanessa's tone was quite demanding.

The man completely ignored her question, "Until he coughs up what he owes me, we're all going to be here. Tim?" He turned to one of his buddies, "Take the kid and the blonde to the other room. I want to be alone with mama bear." He turned his head towards Vanessa with a smug smile on his face.

Vanessa watched as Cole and Jennifer were manhandled out the living room. The other men had left as well, leaving Vanessa and this guy alone. Though she was worried about her friend, Miguel, and Cole— she couldn't help but wonder how this guy knew that she was cole's mom. With that in her mind, she can only figure out that Miguel and this guy go way back and are maybe close because he knows about Cole and her.

"You going to tell me your name or just keep staring at me?" Vanessa darted her eyes up to the man who stood before her, holding a gun in his right hand.

He just chuckled, "You got a mouth on ya, don't ya?"

"Well when you threaten my kid, I'm a real bitch about it." She spoke sternly.

Before he could reply, his phone was buzzing in his back pocket. He pulled it out, pressed the green button then held it up to his ear, "What's the problem?"

The conversation lasted about a minute or two. Though Vanessa wasn't tied down or anything, she still couldn't move because that damn gun was still pointed at her. Soon the phone was hanged up and it was slid back into his pocket. He looked at Vanessa and titled his head slightly before walking behind her, then grabbing something to restrain her.

He pulled on it tightly to make sure she didn't get loose. He then pulled out his phone and called that number that called him not too long ago. As he put it on speaker, he bent down and whispered in Vanessa's ear.

"See, Miguel's not cooperating and that's a problem. But I have a solution— motivation." It was quiet, his lips were practically against her ear.

"And what's that?" Vanessa tried her hardest not to make sudden movements.

He spoke through gritted teeth, "Your screams."

Vanessa's known for being strong willed and brave, but right now, she was anything but. As much as she feared for everyone else's life, she feared for her own just the same. As soon as she heard those words, she practically stopped breathing. She's been in a similar situation like this before, but this one was much worse. She didn't want to think about the ways this guy could make her scream and beg for her life because there are so many. Each one is much worse and brutal as the last. All she knew is whatever it was, she wanted to get it over with and fast.

• • •

The agent and the teen were both restrained with their backs leaning against a wall in some room. They're both calm but that was on the outside, on the side . . . they didn't know how the night would end and that scared them the most. Blank expressions on their faces and that was until they heard the screams. They weren't just any type of screams . . . they were painful, ones that someone will close their eyes because of how difficult it is to hear that sound.

That's exactly what jj did.

Cole didn't know how to react, she just felt this sudden urge to do something. She was pissed off, angry.

"Leave my mom alone!" She yelled at the guy who was keeping his eyes on jj and her.

He turned to her, "Until your daddy cashes in, your mom's our insurance."

With a shook of her head and slight scoff, the door flew open.

"Boss needs us." He mentioned to the other guy. They both left the room and that's when jj took it upon herself to quickly talk to Cole.

Jj scooted closer to Cole, "I got a plan." She whispered, "I'm going to be a distraction and you're going to run like hell. Find my phone, call Hotch. He'll know what to do."

"Our ankles are tied up, how are we going to get out?" The teen whispered back.

Jj soon heard the guys coming back, "Like I said, I have a plan. Follow my lead." She quickly scooted back to her spot.

Once the men came back, they shut door close again.

Jennifer glanced at Cole before looking up at the man who had his back towards her, "She needs to use the bathroom."

The man turned around and looked at Cole, "Get up."

She got up and the man gripped her arm, walking her to the bathroom. Jj watched as they left the room. Now it was a matter of when the plan would be enact and she had an idea.

• • •

Once they reached the bathroom and he opened the door, Cole rose her arms up, "I'm gonna need these you know." She gestured towards her hands.

He rolled his eyes, then pulled out a switch blade out his pocket. He cut the restraints off then stood next to the door. Cole hopped into the bathroom, then shut the door so she could have some privacy. Cole quietly shut the lid on the toilet before sitting down on it.

As she sat there, there was commotion being heard. The man had run off, Cole assumed jj was starting the plan — the distraction. Cole began to tug on the restraint, the only way this plan could actually work is if cole got out. She tugged and tugged, then resorted to taking her shoes and socks off. She then started pulled her feet out. Did it hurt? You bet your ass it did. Once she was free, she quickly grabbed her shoes then ran out the bathroom.

Her first thought was the kitchen, maybe the phones were there? She couldn't leave without jj's phone, she needed it to call Hotch. She rummaged through the kitchen but there were no signs of the phones. She then remembered about a room she wasn't allowed to go in so that's exactly where she went. Of course she had to be real stealth about it. Once she got to the room, she quietly opened it and began to quickly think of the best hiding spot. So with a tilt of her head, she looked at the picture that hung on the wall. It was odd because it was the only thing on the wall.

She walked up to it, then placed her sneakers down. She picked the picture off the wall and gently placed it on the floor. As soon as she saw it was a safe, she got super annoyed.

"Fuck." She mumbled, "Guess im going to have to call Hotch another way."

She picked up her shoes again and began to make her exit out the house. The best way was out the kitchen because it immediately went into the backyard. So that's exactly where she went, all bare foot, her sneakers in one hand, she quietly but quickly made her way back to the kitchen and left to the backyard. She walked around to the front, avoiding all windows then when she noticed she was in the clear, she began to run for her life. As soon as she was far enough, she sat on the curbside and quickly put her shoes back on. It hurt badly, but that was the least of her worries.

Now it was time to figure out how to reach Hotch so the team could save jj, her mom and her dad.

to be continued . . .

a/n:
Cole is a brave girl
&&& hella strong
for her age !!