Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. I'm just a loyal fan.
A/N: A little mix of everything. Slightly based off of Minimal Loss. Contains a more confident Dr. Reid! My first attempt at slash, so please be very nice to me and if you don't like it, don't read it. Reid/OC.
*****
The cool Georgia wind whipped at the exposed faces of the officers a slight rain fell like sheets of ice to the slick streets below. The weather was unusual, especially for Georgia and especially considering it was mid- spring already. It rained, sure, but hardly ever like this.
Detective Hoban of the Atlanta inner city Police Department scowled at the weather under his thick gray moustache. Just what they needed, to be stuck out here all night in the freezing rain trying to wait out a suspect who was better equipped, and warmer, than they were.
Lieutenant Greene, a happy man in his late thirties was unusually melancholy. His boyish face depicted concern for the senior detective as well as the rapidly deteriorating situation. It had only been two hours and already the suspect had killed a hostage and had made a list of demands longer than Detective Hoban's arm.
"Greene, get me Aaron Hotchner at the Behavoral Analysis Unit in Quantico. Now."
*****
Spencer Reid was still smiling when the elevator doors opened to reveal the bullpen and familiar faces of his office. He was distracted, as anyone who knew him- especially the profiler- could tell. Spencer Reid's mind was still on the night before. He gave a quiet chuckle as he though about it- the dinner, the surprise, the excellent twenty- seventh birthday party. The after dinner surprise was even better. He shuddered just thinking about those hands-.
"Looking good, man. Why so happy this morning?" Agent Derek Morgan broke the unsuspecting doctor of his quiet reverie. "This wouldn't happen to be about a lady friend, now would it?"
"Hardly." Reid retorted, chucking.
*****
Jennifer Jareau, JJ to her colleagues and friends, surveyed the bullpen from her office as she reviewed case files. Emily sat at her desk, chatting animatedly to Garcia, who vacated her "Lair or Wonder" to be with real people for a change. Morgan, smiling as always, was teasing a chucking Reid.
JJ smiled as she thought about the youngest member of the team. Reid had always been awkward, and introverted, and not great about social interaction. Lately, however, she had begun to notice drastic changes in her friend. It began about seven months ago. He started to become more confident with conflict and with dealing with social groups. Even still stranger was that he began to dress and act a lot less like a student teacher and a lot more like an FBI agent. He forewent his old revolver and picked up a glossy black nine- mil. He even began to dress a little more impeccably, and the result was that he looked cute, smart, and even slightly intimidating at the same time.
Today he wore a red button down shirt and a black tie over a pair of dark, slightly tight jeans that could pass for slacks and a pair of ever-present black converse. When asked about this, the young man merely replied that they were unbelievably comfortable and that he thought he would probably even wear them to his wedding. His light brown hair fell with deliberate messiness and was ticked behind his ears.
These severe changes were a cause of gossip, especially between JJ and Garcia. Both had noticed Reid's rapidly toning physique, and both agreed with Morgan that a female presence in his life had caused such measure to be taken.
When they confronted Reid about this idea, he laughed in a very un-Reid- ish way and winked at them whilst assuring them that no female had caused such changes.
They let it drop. For now.
The phone rang, shaking JJ from her musings. "This is Jennifer Jareau," she answered professionally.
The nature of the call was not a happy one, and the result of it would be getting thrust head first into a storm that would shake them to their very foundation.
*****
The plane. Thirty minutes later.
"Okay," JJ began, "Sorry to brief you on the plane but the nature of the situation calls for all haste. Last night an anarchist sect in Atlanta took an office building hostage. The group is known as the Red Hand, and their leader is a man who identified himself simply as the bringer." She pointed to a picture on the screen of a tall, smirking man. He had no hair, a multitude of tattoos, and yet he possessed a strangely intelligent look in his eye.
"Garcia looked him up. His real name is Thomas Fallon. He's was a professor of radical political science at the University of Georgia until 2007 when he went haywire and started preaching about lack of government efficiency and the revolution of libertarianism. They fired him and he started the anarchist cell the Red Hands. They were quiet until a few months ago."
Rossi looked up from the case file. "I know that case." The Reds started killing off Georgia Senators and leaving a bloody handprint as a calling card."
"What happened at the office building?" Reid asked.
"Well," it was JJ who answered, "Fallon and six of his followers captured an office building ranch on the outskirts of northern Atlanta. There's nothing else around so there's no danger of crossfire hitting a passerby, but they did take approximately twenty five people hostage."
Emily looked up. "What's the significance of the office buildings?"
"It says here that it's the office building of Georgian Senator Remington Dawes. It's confirmed that Dawes is inside. We think Fallon is there for Dawes but he won't let any of the other hostages go."
"Okay." Hotch spoke quickly and without hesitation. "We're meeting up with the lead Detective on the case at the office. They've been stationed there for just over four hours but they haven't made any headway."
"Rossi, your on negotiations. JJ, stay in contact with Garcia and get all information. We're going to set up a felid office around the corner and close the offices in."
"Hotch, what are the offices? What's the business?" Reid asked.
"It's a private sector building called Smith Security Group. It's a private security business that deals with high ranking officials and expensive clientele. Its where Senator Dawes set up his campaign for the promotion of private security in Washington to reduce corruption."
"So maybe the building is the target and not the Senator. Anarchists, especially a narcissistic one like Fallon, won't like people making a profit protecting the government they want to annihilate." Emily mused.
"So how did ten radical anarchists take a building full of private security officials?" Morgan asked.
"Almost all dangerous agents are in Washington full time because of the capital. They have mostly government officials, office workers, and company CEOs."
"Reid? Reid!"
No one noticed that Reid had frozen when Hotch mentioned SSG. Breathe. He told himself. You don't know anything. It's a coincidence. You were home thins morning. No one you love in going to die!
You don't know that, a small voice in his head said, like a whisper in the wind, just loud enough to send chills down him.
Reid looked up. His team was staring at him, concerned.
"Sorry," he told them, "I was just thinking."
"Are you going to be okay?" Hotch questioned. "I'm going to need you to get into Fallon's head. Can you do that?"
"I'm good Hotch." But his thoughts whispered no your not.
*****
Detective Hoban shook hands with everyone when they arrived. It was nine in the morning by now and the situation had not changed.
"Detective, these are SSA's Morgan, Prentiss, Rossi, Jareau, and Reid," motioning to each in turn. "We have to get started."
"Right." The detective said, his salt and pepper hair gleaming in the wane, post- rain sunlight of the morning. "Fallon, thanks for the name by the way, has everyone held up on the lobby. We estimate twenty or twenty five hostages. All are alive except for an unlucky PSA (Private Security Agent) who pulled his gun. We asked for name but no cigar."
Reid froze for the second time that day. No No NO! This could not be happening. You don't know for sure…
"Okay. Rossi, its your show."
Rossi was on the phone now. The answering voice was smooth and silky, and undeniably frightening.
"Hello Agents. I take it you have my name by now, so this is Fallon speaking."
"Hello Fallon, this is agent Rossi. Can you tell me what you want?"
"I want to continue my righteous revolution. The government is useless. They insert themselves where they ought not be, and they sent their dogs to do their bidding. And now! Ha! Now they're paying huge sums to big companies to protect them. The little people hire their guard dogs and this company is going to make millions killing people your bosses think are an enemy of the state. So what do I want, Agent Rossi? I want every private security at this company arrested for unlawful deal making and I want the SSG building I'm in destroyed."
"You're smart, Fallon, you know I can't do that."
Fallon sighed, and spoke as though to a child. "Then I suppose you care not for the lives of twenty six private sector workers and the Senator. Oh well, they are useless to me. They are expendable. Are they expendable to you as well, Agent Rossi?"
"That was a load of bull and we both know it, Fallon. Tell me what you really want." Reid spoke up, talking directly to the narcissistic unsub.
"Ah, Agent Reid."
"You know me?"
"Someone in here told me you were going to kill me. Are you going to kill me Agent Reid?"
Reid eyes went wide, and then fury was etched into his face. Cold fury, which took his team by surprise.
"Fallon, if you even twitch the wrong way and something happens I'll make sure you wish for death."
Fallon sighed again. "So much anger, Agent Reid, perhaps you'd like to visit? Agent Rossi?"
"I'm here."
"I'll give you the body of the PSA and the senator if you give me the good Agent Reid."
Before anyone could say a word, Reid said, "Deal, but you have to send him out too."
"No. But I will give you the secretaries. They are all quite beautiful, and I would hate to have to have to destroy that."
"Fine."
"Good. They'll be out shortly. No guns, no Kevlar, and if you're not at the door two minutes after they exit, he dies." The line went dead.
*****
"Reid!" Morgan exclaimed, more pissed off than anyone had ever seen him, "What the hell do you think your doing? This is not happening!"
"Morgan think!" Reid retorted, "I can get in his head and he's giving us the senator. That's who we're trying to protect here! I can work his profile and get as many people out as I can."
Hotch spoke up now. "Morgan he's right. Reid, do you have a second gun?"
"Yes, do you want me to bring it?"
"No. These guys are nothing if not meticulous. They'll find it. Okay, he's narcissistic and psychopathic, and he's a glory hound. This won't end peacefully- he's already planning to go out with a bang. Did he say you knew someone in there?"
"I don't know. But if it is who I think it is, then were in luck."
"This is a minimal loss situation Reid, and were not going to save everyone. His demands are just for show; all he really wants to do is make a point, and people are expendable to him. Some of them are going to die, you have to understand this. I'm going to give you some bugs- place them throughout the building."
"Got it!"
Detective Hogan came running back from around the corner, Kevlar on, and said, "They're coming out."
Reid hugged everyone good bye and turned the corner.
His team watched him round the bend and disappear out of sight.
*****
The hostages came out slowly, hands on their head, with Senator Dawes in front. He had a small cut on his forehead, but otherwise was unharmed. Following him were seven women- clearly the secretaries. They rounded the bend and where overwhelmed by law enforcement officers and EMTs.
Meanwhile, Reid walked slowly towards the door. Ten feet away, two armed guards walked out of the bushed and stood behind him. They both were heavily loaded with handguns and semi- automatic rifles.
They crossed into the dim building, and Reid surreptitiously placed a bug on the door.
He was shoved foreword silently, past the frightened and defiant faces of the hostages, to a door to the back. His brilliant mind counted nineteen people.
That means-
"Agent Reid!" Fallon stepped out of the office, "How nice of you to join us!"
"Where is he?" Reid all but growled back, cold fury rolling off of him in waves.
"In time, Doctor. For now, you're going to help me."