Yes I know it has been soooooo long since I updated! I can't apologize enough for that but my muse, as quickly as she reappeared to start this story she disappeared again! And then all of a sudden the urge to write struck and here is a new chapter!

Now I can't promise that this means new chapters will be popping up every day but I'm hoping that this sudden burst continues.

Enjoy

Chapter 7

Prentiss tried desperately to keep her eyes open. It had been a long day and the lack of rest was beginning to catch to up to her. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand and tried unsuccessfully to stifle the yawn that escaped.

"I saw that" Rossi joked never taking his eyes off the darkness outside their vehicle.

"Oh c'mon you're gonna tell me that you aren't the least bit tired? We have been going non- stop since we arrived"

"Oh I didn't say that" he glanced at his watch to check the time. Their informant was nearly 45 minutes late. "I was simply stating an observation"

Prentiss rolled her eyes. "Our guy is late"

Rossi was about to radio to Hotch about what they should do when a lone figure emerged from the brush about 100 feet ahead of them.

"That him?" Emily asked as she sized him up. He couldn't have been more than 30 years old and his body language screamed he was nervous.

"Let's go find out" Rossi replied as he opened his car door.

Prentiss quickly followed suit and the two of them joined Hotch and detective Tane as they approached the young man.

"Shane?" called out Tane as he reached out to shake hands

Markum quickly took the out stretched hand and gave it a firm shake. He hoped his sweaty palms didn't betray the strong tough guy look he was trying to put forth. The entire trip from the compound he kept looking over his shoulder to be sure no one was following him.

Noticing the young man's uneasiness and obvious desire to return before someone went looking for him Hotch decided to make the meeting as short and sweet as possible.

"What can you tell us about the security for the retreat?"

Focusing in on the tall man before Markum took a steadying breath and began to relay as much as he could about the layout and security rotations as he could remember from what he had seen with his own eyes.

He was able to tell them the guards made rounds on the property every hour with about 4 to 5 men doing the job. He was unable to tell them if they were armed with any type of weapons only to say whenever he saw or ran into one of them there was no obvious signs the men carried anything for protection. To him it seemed the guards were more for show than anything. He had no doubt if someone were to try and sneak on the grounds or if someone was found sneaking out the men would do something but he didn't necessarily feel they were like Navy Seals or anything.

Markum had also drawn, rather crudely, a map of the main building with all its entrances and exits including one from the storm cellar which was only locked on the outside he discovered. The door from it to the house was never locked. He pointed out that all the points of entry were covered by surveillance cameras and the security office was located on the second floor not the first. He wasn't really sure why but he thought it had to something to do with the fact that the Shaw's suite was on that floor.

Rossi looked over the crude map the young man had drawn and he had to admit the place was more like a fortress than a couples retreat. "These "x's" you marked in several of what appear to be hallways, what do they stand for?"

"Besides the cameras on the entrances and exits, a couple of employees have told me there are also hidden cameras in several of the hallways and meeting rooms. The x's are the ones I know for are there for sure. The ones in the hallways" he said as he leaned over and pointed to a couple "are ones either leading to or directly outside the Shaw's personal suite and their office"

"They are definitely paranoid" Rossi mumbled as he continued to look over the drawing. He noted the unsubs bedroom or suite was not more than three doors away from their office.

"Apparently the Shaw's like to see first- hand how their guests are getting along"

The group didn't miss the young man cringe

"Why do you say it like that?" asked Prentiss

Markum's brow furrowed in disgust "they put hidden cameras in the guest's bedrooms so they can watch"

The three FBI agents shared a look of concern

"Do our agents know about the cameras?" Hotch asked. His concern for Morgan and JJ's safety had just grown exponentially. If they didn't know about the cameras and did something to give themselves away as connected to the police then their lives could be in danger.

Markum shrugged "I don't know"

"How many other employees know about the drainage pipe?"

"I'm pretty sure most if not all of them. One of the other employees who likes to smoke something other than cigarettes if you catch my drift told me about it when I first started and I was griping about there not being any good junk food on the grounds. He said some use it to go into town to score drugs but most use it to go hang out at some of the local bars"

It was Prentiss's turn to furrow her brow in confusion "And the security guards don't notice groups of people coming and going?"

"The security guards when not on duty sneak out too. Well most of them do. The other guards get to come and go as they please"

"Other guards?" asked Tane

"Yeah the ones who are nearly permanently attached to the Shaw's at their hips. Those guys come and go through the main gate in a black sedan. And those guys I'm sure carry guns"

"They must be the enforcers" Hotch whispered to Rossi "The ones who do the actual dirty work"

Rossi nodded then turned his attention back to Markum "you said some of the other employees go into town to score drugs"

"Yeah"

"Do you know what they get?"

"Well one of them, the one who told me about the drain, gets weed and there is another guy, Sean Collier, he kind of keeps to himself and he's a little shady if you ask me but I've heard from others he has the connect to get you whatever you want. I know he definitely scores Ecstasy for the staff and some of the guests. The odd thing though is he doesn't always use the drain to leave the property"

"What do you mean?"

Markum explained that while the guy will leave the property to score drugs, often for the guests themselves through the drain once or even twice a week the guards will drive him off the property to score. No one knows where they go but when they come back the guy usually has some really good stuff to share with the rest of the staff and he always stops at Shaw's office first when he comes back.

The team had no doubt the drugs Sean Collier was getting the Yohimbe doctors had found trace amounts of in all of the victim's blood. All they had to do now was find out who more about him and where he went to get his supply.

"Has this guy gone with the guards yet this week?"

"No but he should be going soon. He usually goes around the third or fourth day of a retreat session"

"Ok Shane you can go but keep in touch with us and with agents Morgan and Jareau and if you see or hear anything that might indicate the Shaw's know who they are, you let us know immediately. And unless you think it absolutely necessary we probably shouldn't meet again. Simply contact detective Tane via text message to keep him apprised and try and keep the language of the texts innocuous so if anyone reads them it doesn't arouse suspicion."

Hotch wasn't going to take any chances where his agents were concerned. He was concerned for this young man's safety as well because if anyone found out he was talking with them he was sure the Shaw's would not hesitate to kill him and JJ or Morgan.

"Yes sir" Shane had to admit while scary and very serious this whole thing he felt was also very cool. Secluded late night meetings, undercover FBI agents and coded text messages, he felt like James Bond.

"Be careful Shane" Tane added as a warning. The veteran detective could sense that while he was afraid the young man was also excited by all this and that could make him careless or make him take careless risks. The last thing he wanted was for this brave kid to get hurt or worse, killed.

"Trust me I will. The Shaw's scare me but what they do to people it's wrong and they need to be stopped before someone else gets hurt"

Tane couldn't help but smile to himself. The kid would make a fine cop if he ever decided to change career paths. Maybe when all this was over he would bring it up to him.

With that the young man disappeared into the darkness and Tane turned his attention back to Hotch, Rossi and Prentiss.

"What's our next move?" Emily asked as the group walked back to their respective vehicles

"Tonight, nothing. We all need some sleep. In the morning I'll have Garcia look into Sean Collier and detective" Hotch said as he turned his attention solely on Tane "we need to post some undercover officers near the gates of the compound. I want to know when people leave and when they enter"

"You go it. I'll have two of my detectives posted first thing."

With that the four of them drove off, the team heading off to their hotel to get some much needed sleep and Tane back to the precinct to get the paperwork started on the undercover operation two of his detectives would be undertaking in the morning.

As Hotch laid his head on his pillow that night two thoughts crossed his weary mind; first and foremost the safety of his team and the second was concern for two agents on the other side of compound gates. He wondered if they would be strong enough both physically and emotionally for what seemed to lie ahead of them. They had only just begun to find each other he thought and he would hate to see the bond, the relationship shattered by a twisted unsubs need for greed and power.

Inside the compound two figures lay awake each pondering the thoughts and feelings of the other too afraid to take a chance and say what is they really want from the other. Little did either know, soon all of that was going to change and the question they would both then be left with; how much would everything between them change and would it be a good thing?

I know some of you are probably disappointed. I go all that time between updates and no JJ or Morgan in this chapter. I am sorry but hey, there is a case in this story too ya know and it has to be written about as well! LOL However, what I hinted at in the last paragraph is coming so don't fret all you JJ/M shippers like me out there will get your fix. Just hang in. ;)

Remember to review and again I promise I will try and get the next chapter out a lot quicker than I got this one out and posted.