A/N: Thank you for all the alerts, follows, and reviews...I hope you continue to enjoy this series, your humble bard

Jonathan Harper was twenty-three years old and in his opinion to young to die. It didn't look like he was going to have a choice though. He knew Brandon from the two classes they took together and he didn't like him. He had tried to be friendly at least, but Brandon had definitely taken it the wrong way. He didn't know what he had done wrong to merit becoming his latest victim, but he had no doubt that he wouldn't be surviving this.

He was bleeding where Brandon had carved a message into his chest. He didn't know who the hell Detective Rizzoli was but he hoped she fared better than he was going to. The device attached to his body was rigged to explode if they tried to remove it. Brandon had laughed as he talked while attaching it all. Jonathan heard his words clearly "You better hope one of them knows what they're doing or you're dead." His sick, stupid laugh made Jonathan curse at him, which had earned him the carving on his chest.

He shivered uncontrollably as his core temperature dropped. It was barely freezing but sitting out here bare-chested he felt the cold in his bones. He was scared to move, scared to do much of anything, but he had to get help, he couldn't just lie there.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Brandon watched Jonathan through his scope. He had left him where he was sure to be found fairly quickly. This would be his first night shoot, but after watching the news and the show that the police had put on he didn't want to wait. He smiled at the memory of Detective Rizzoli's face when she was directly questioned about the case. The press blamed her for what was happening, for what he was doing. It was amusing, funny even. He wondered what the press' reaction would be to his current little game. Looking down the scope again he settled in as the first red and blue lights appeared down the street.

"Time to pick my target…"

xxxxxxx

Emily and JJ got their things together and waited by the elevator for Garcia.

"Where's Jordan?" JJ looked down the hall surprised when Garcia showed up alone.

"Downstairs, she went for a cup of coffee." Pen adjusted the strap on her shoulder and pressed for the elevator.

"This late?" Emily looked at her watch and saw that it was almost midnight. Jane had gone to get Maura so they could leave together. Morgan and Reid had stayed behind with Frost and Korsak. They wanted to know what the outcome of Hotch's meeting with Cavanaugh would be.

"She's Latina, of course this late. Can you believe it, it relaxes her." Garcia's smile told them how content she was to have Jordan here.

Three cell phones buzzing at the same time made the women look at each other.

"What the hell?"

xxxxxx

"Come on Maura, they're waiting for us." The sound of Michael Jackson's Beat it rang through the morgue as Jane waited for Maura to grab her bag. Chuckling she reached for her phone "Yeah Frost? What? Wait; slow down…crap…K I'll be right there."

Jane wasted no time grabbing Maura's hand as she reappeared with her bag.

"What's wrong?" She winced at how hard Jane was squeezing her hand, "Jane stop, you're scaring me."

"We might have another victim." Stabbing at the elevator button she looked anxiously at Maura as she tried to keep her nightmare at bay. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since the last one. Something had upset this guy's schedule and she couldn't help wondering if somehow she played a part in it.

Walking into the lobby she wasn't surprised to find the BAU team gathered along with some of BPD's finest. Frost passed Jane her vest while Korsak passed Maura her spare.

Looking at it with distaste she looked at Jane, "really?"

"Please Maur, for me…"

With a sigh she slipped it on, ignoring JJ's knowing look.

"What have we got?" Glancing at Jordan who was the odd man out she turned her attention to Frost.

"Dispatch received a call from a passerby on the commons. Someone yelling for help but they didn't see anyone." Frost looked at everyone, uncertainty in his eyes.

"So why do we think it's our guy?" Morgan was tired and the last thing he wanted to do tonight was chase his tail in the dark.

"We received two separate calls. We think one of them was our guy." Korsak continued. "He specifically mentioned the FBI and said they might be interested in the scene."

"Son of a bitch!" Emily couldn't believe the gall of this person. "Garcia…"

"Already checked sweetness, disposable phone, no way to trace it." Garcia's disappointment and concern was contagious. It was dark and dangerous and she did not want her family out there when there was a lunatic with a rifle picking officers off.

"We have to go…our units on the way?" Jane addressed herself to Korsak.

"Yeah, they've been told to stand by until we get there."

She knew what they were thinking. This was a setup, it had to be but it was also the first time they may have a live victim. They couldn't ignore that; all they could do was make sure that they were all as vigilant as possible. Jane looked around at everyone and nodded. "Let's go then."

Hotch watched as the team headed out. Garcia had asked him if Jordan could go along and he had said yes. As long as Garcia was focused, he was happy, however he had been adamant that Jordan remain in the vehicle with Garcia. As a civilian, he didn't need any more wrinkles to iron. Thankfully, Garcia had her laptop and she and Frost had already discussed tapping into the cameras around the location while they were on their way. Hopefully they would spot something. Rossi had asked to stay behind to review the information they did have. He had a hunch they were missing something and Hotch was more than willing to allow the older man to follow up.

Emily and JJ pulled up in their SUV just as Jane and Maura arrived. Frost and Korsak pulled in behind them.

"Where's Morgan and Garcia?" Jane didn't see the other SUV.

"They got caught by the light, they're…here they are." JJ waved at the arriving vehicle.

Jane walked over to the officer on the scene for an update.

"We have what looks like a body at the base of the fountain. Our witness said they heard someone yelling for help and called it in. They didn't go any closer."

"Great…" Jane ran her fingers through her hair and quickly pulled her hair up in a ponytail. "How many officers do we have in the area?" The others joined her as she posed her question.

"8 with two more cars on the way. They're covering the entrances. The lighting sucks over there Detective, anyone going over there with a light is going to make a heck of a target."

"Rizzoli, Prentiss and I will go." Morgan quickly tried to set the tone. Time was short if they had a live victim and Jane was still.

"Absolutely not Morgan. This is still a BPD matter. You can accompany me but I'm going." Jane walked back toward the others and missed Morgan roll his eyes.

Stubborn as hell, that's what she was, Morgan looked at Emily and shrugged his shoulders, "I tried."

"I know, come on before she goes without us." Emily looked around and sensed again what she had felt when she had gone to the campus. They were being watched, even now.

"Korsak, you're with us. JJ, can you keep eyes on again?" Jane had complete confidence in JJ's ability to stop anything out of the ordinary. "Frost, work with Garcia please tie into the cameras and find us something please." She put the mic that Emily handed her into her ear and turned to Maura.

"We haven't confirmed a body yet Maur. I need you to stay here."

Maura wanted to argue but the look on Jane's face told her now was not the time. "I'll stay back with Jordan, maybe Pen can use an extra set of eyes."

Jane thanked her without saying a word. She would have preferred that Maura stay back at the precinct but she knew better than to even suggest it.

Morgan looked around as they walked to the site. The officer was right, the lighting sucked but as they got closer to the fountain, he could see the lights around the area illuminate a spot by the main walkway. Shivering he turned his collar up. It was cold and there was still snow everywhere.

They walked toward the area slowly, keeping eyes on their surroundings.

"JJ anything?" Emily spoke into her mic.

"No…be careful, I don't have clear sight of you."

"Got it…"

"Holy shit…" The sight before Jane shocked her. The young man was trussed up at the base of the lamppost. He was in his underwear and his chest was bloody where words appeared to have been carved. His eyes were closed and it was impossible to determine whether or not he was alive. Jane looked around and moved closer.

"What did you find?" Frost's voice came over their mics. Jordan, sitting next to Garcia as her fingers flew over her keyboard was a bit stunned at how quickly their evening had changed even more shocked at being allowed to accompany them.

Everyone in the SUV heard as Jane quickly explained and started describing the scene in front of her.

The four of them approached their victim and stopped at the words carved in his chest. The words were crudely carved and mocking, "Tick, tock Rizzoli"

"Are you kidding me?" Disgusted, Jane put her fingers against the young man's neck and then his ankle. "He's alive, shit!" Jonathan moaned at her touch.

Korsak quickly called for the ambulance and watched as Morgan knelt down next to Jane.

Dude..you gotta get me out of this…" Jonathan tried not to chatter as his bluish lips blubbered his words. Morgan looked down at him and over at Jane who shook her head.

"We need to get him untied. These wires look like they're tied to the lamppost."

Jordan overheard Morgan's words over Garcia's feed and felt her blood run cold. "No! Don't touch it!" Running out of the car she ignored Garcia's screams for her to get back. Heart pumping she ran, as fast as she could. It didn't occur to her that she had just made herself a target. All Jordan knew was that her friends were in danger.

Morgan heard Jordan yell in his earpiece and turned in the direction of the car. "What the hell?"

"Was that Jordan?" Jane and Emily looked around frantically. If their shooter was nearby he would have heard her.

"Don't touch him!" Jordan slipped and fell, cursing as she got up and continued running.

Jordan came up the path to the fountain panting. "IED, he's wired, he's wired Morgan." She had seen enough of this in Afghanistan. He was tied into the lamppost electrical. If they tried to get him loose it would blow, she knew it just as she knew her own name.

"What do you mean he's wired?"
The question went unanswered as their shooter opened fire. Ducking down Jane was shocked by how close the bullet came to hitting Emily.

"Get out, we have to get out of here the shot came from that direction. JJ? Can you hear us?"

"Yes" Her voice was tense, but they all heard her relief at hearing Emily's voice.

"Hon we're caught between a bomb and a shooter. We need PD to head in the direction of the hotel across the street."

JJ relayed the request as two more shots rang out. "Jesus"

Maura gripped the vest with her hands as she listened to what was going on. Frost had called Hotch and Cavanaugh, both of whom were on their way along with the bomb squad. JJ and Reid were headed out in the direction of the hotel with the police as she listened to Jane and the others talk amongst themselves. This was insane…how could one person wreak so much havoc. Shaking her head she continued to listen.

Garcia was desperate to find something, anything. Jordan was out there now and she had no idea how JJ could possibly be managing so well.

Jane looked at Jordan, "we have to do something for him" looking at their victim she felt horrible about not helping him.

"We can't, not now, not yet…" She ducked her head as a bullet struck the lamppost. "Oh my God," pulling Jane by the hand she yelled, "RUN!"

None of them wasted anytime hesitating, which everyone would later agree, saved some lives. The explosion blew apart the fountain and their victim. The fireball and concussion knocked them all off their feet, with pieces of the fountain raining down around them. The shooter was forgotten as everyone ran toward their friends and loved ones.

I know, I know….How could I? Well hell, how could I not? Love to know what you think.