Chapter 10

"I told you not to put me in this position!" Cyrus yelled, angryly.

He threw her onto the ground, and she looked up at him. He slapped her, and she fell back down with a groan.

Hotch and the others listened in on everything. She tried to get up, and he kicked her. She began coughing, and she let out a noise of protest.

"We have to go in," Hotch said. "She's not going to make it."

Rossi shook his head sadly. "We'd be risking the lives of everyone in there."

Cyrus growled. "Get up."

"We're risking her life!" Hotch semi-shouted.

She complied, Cyrus grabbing her and throwing a punch, making her hit a glass mirror. She was breathing heavily as she was handling the pain, not really minding it as the pain kept her awake.

"Proverbs 20:30 tells us that blows and wounds cleanse away evil," he says angrily.

He grabbed her once again and pushed her into a pile of boxes. Daniella let out a cry of pain as she hit the floor, but she wasn't actually crying.

"I can take it," she said, slowly standing up.

"Oh, you can take it?" He asked, slapping her once again.

Rossi moved his hand when he saw Derek and Hotch move. "Wait, wait, listen, listen to what she's saying."

Hotch looked at Rossi as Daniella looked at Cyrus.

"I can take it," she repeated, taking a deep breath before gulping when she saw the rage in his eyes.

"She's antagonizing him," Derek said, frustration now evident in his tone.

"She's not talking to him," Rossi said.

Hotch nodded. "She's talking to us. She's telling us not to come in. "

"Pride comes before the fall," he says, punching her in the stomach.

She gasped, losing her breath, and he threw her onto the ground.

Derek threw the headphones onto the table and Rossi took his off, no longer wanting to hear one of his colleagues get hurt.

She tasted her own blood, and she tried to keep her eyes open, but the pain was too much. She caught her breath, feeling a headache take place, and she hissed.

"Tie her up, take her upstairs," Cyrus said, letting out a harsh breath.

Reid and Prentiss turned to see the man struggling to get a hold of Daniella. She leaned against the wall and was trying to catch her breath again.

"Touch me again, and I swear to God," she breathed out. "I'll kick your-"

He pointed the gun at her, and she let out a laugh as he tried to grab onto her.

"I can walk on my own," she said, going up the stairs as the man followed her. "Don't touch me."

Her voice echoed and Prentiss sighed, Reid still in shock. Daniella woke up when she heard a bucket hit the ground and the sound of water dripping back into it.

"You should have told Cyrus who you were," Jessica's mother said, cleaning her wounds gently.

Daniella moved a bit, the pain becoming bearable. Although her lips stung, she was relieved to not have dry blood on them anymore.

He's a prophet. He predicted Satan's armies would come and lay siege to us. "

She rolled her eyes. "'There's a name for that kind of prophecy: self-fulfilling."

The woman shook her head. "You don't know how dangerous it is to lie to him."

She turned to her and then looked up at the ceiling. I know it would take a brave woman to defy him, knowing the consequences. And that woman would have a damn good reason to do it. "

She cleaned off all the blood, and the lady avoided looking at Daniella. She picked up the bucket and left the room, leaving Daniella to sigh and close her eyes. She soon fell into a short slumber.

Cyrus cleaned his cuts and blew air onto them.

"Did you know she worked for the FBI?"He asked Reid and Prentiss.

Reid let out a breath and shook his head. He turned to Prentiss.

"No," she said,

"Nancy told us the woman was a child abuse interview expert from Denver," Reid said. "In the 4 years we worked with her, Nancy never lied to us before."

"It's strange," Prentiss said. She was always honest. That's what made her good in the field. "

Cyrus looked at them. "As far as you know."

He got up and faced them. "Their law says that a 15-year-old girl is a child. 50 years ago, that same law said a 14-year-old was an adult. Have children changed so much in 50 years? "

Prentiss looked at Reid before turning to Cyrus.

"We can't tell you the number of times we've investigated abuse charges against small religious groups. Almost all of them turn out to be false, "Prentiss said.

Cyrus turned to her.

"What do you think of that?" he asked.

Reid shrugged. "It doesn't matter what we think."

Cyrus looked at him. "It does to me."

Reid gave him a look. "Why?"

"Because God wants to save you," Cyrus said. I mean, that's why he sent you here. That's the reason. "

Cole nodded at him and Prentiss looked at them.

Reid thought for a second before nodding. On the next call, you should test them. Test the negotiator. Make him prove he isn't a liar. "

Cyrus sighed and sat down on the table. "How would you suggest I do that?"

"Ask for the identity of the FBI agent."

"No, we already know her identity," Cole said.

Rossi held the headphones and listened intently to Reid's plan.

"They don't know that."

"Yeah, but the FBI would never tell us," Cole argued.

Prentiss nodded. "They keep asking you to release people. Tell him you'll release a kid and you won't harm the agent. If they really care about the children, they'll have to tell you. "

Cole shook his head and looked at Prentiss. "You're trying to get us to release a child."

Cyrus gave him a look.

"It's just one kid," Reid argued. "If they don't hold up to their end of the deal, you know they can't be trusted."

Cyrus nodded, liking the idea. "He has a point."

Cole left, and another man sighed.

"What is it, Christopher?" Cyrus asked, turning to him as he fumbled with his fingers.

"Some have been talking about... leaving," he sighed.

Cyrus turned to him. "Leaving?"

Christopher nodded. "Yeah."

Cyrus's eyes darkened. "Wake the baby. Let's let them meet the orphan that they've made. "

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