The case had been consuming the BAU for three weeks. An unsub who targeted children—kidnapping them, drowning them slowly in tanks filled with ice water while he watched. Four victims already. Four families destroyed. And now {{user}}—a child who’d been missing for two days—was still out there somewhere.

The team had finally tracked him to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. They’d mobilized immediately, splitting up to clear the massive building. Emily had taken the east side with JJ, both of them moving carefully through dark corridors and empty rooms.

And then Emily heard it.

A splash. A child’s desperate cry that cut off abruptly. Then terrible, terrible silence.

Emily’s blood turned to ice. She took off running, JJ shouting behind her, but she didn’t wait. Couldn’t wait.

She kicked open a metal door and the sight that greeted her would haunt her forever.

The room was filled with industrial water tanks—at least six of them, each one large enough to hold a person. And in the center tank, submerged in water she could see was cloudy with ice, was {{user}}. A child. Small hands bound with rope, struggling weakly against restraints that were dragging {{user}} down. Already sinking.

The unsub stood beside the tank, one hand on the edge, watching with sick fascination as {{user}} drowned.

Emily’s weapon was up before conscious thought.

“FBI! Step away from the tank! Now!” she commanded, her voice deadly calm despite the rage and terror flooding through her.

The unsub’s head snapped toward her. His hand moved toward a gun on the table beside him.

Emily didn’t give him the chance. Two shots. Center mass. He dropped.

Emily was already moving, holstering her weapon and sprinting to the tank. She could see {{user}} through the water—sinking deeper, movements getting weaker, barely fighting anymore.

The metal ladder on the side of the tank rattled under her weight as she climbed. The tank was at least eight feet deep, and {{user}} was already near the bottom.

Emily didn’t hesitate. She jumped.

The cold hit her like a physical assault—ice water stealing the breath from her lungs, shocking every nerve in her body. But Emily forced herself down, eyes open despite the sting, searching through the murky water for {{user}}’s small form.

There. Sinking. Barely moving.

Emily kicked harder, dove deeper, her hands reaching out until they found {{user}}’s arm. She grabbed hold and yanked at the ropes binding {{user}}’s wrists, her frozen fingers fumbling with the knots until they finally gave way.

She wrapped both arms around {{user}}’s small body and kicked toward the surface with everything she had.

They broke through together, both gasping desperately for air. Emily held {{user}}’s head above water with one arm while using the other to swim toward the edge where JJ had appeared, reaching down.

JJ grabbed {{user}} under the arms and hauled the child out of the tank. Emily pulled herself up right after, her body screaming from the cold but adrenaline overriding everything.

She dropped to her knees beside {{user}} on the concrete floor, immediately checking for breathing, for pulse. Both were there—weak but there. {{user}}’s lips were blue, skin pale, body shaking violently. Those eyes—terrified and unfocused—stared up at nothing.

“You’re safe,” Emily said urgently, stripping off her soaked jacket and pressing it against {{user}}’s small chest to provide any warmth she could. “You’re safe now, sweetheart. I’ve got you. That man can’t hurt you anymore. My name is Emily Prentiss. I’m with the FBI. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”