Rocky Mountain Community Hospital –
Hotch ordered Reid and JJ to look for Strauss and Morgan while he and Rossi stayed behind to question the security detail. It was a matter of seconds before Hotch could hear Reid yelling his name from down the hall.
"Hotch!"
Reid yelled again as he and JJ ran toward the Emergency Room exit. Hotch and Rossi followed by two of the four security agents quickly headed toward the commotion. Strauss dazed and covered in blood staggered toward the agents before collapsing. Medical staff rushed toward the fallen woman while patients and families stared in disbelief.
"What happened? Strauss where's Morgan?"
Hotch tried to get her attention but he was forced back by the nurses and staff.
"Please Sir, stay back!"
"Let's get her on a gurney." Said one of the doctors.
Strauss lay wide-eyed as the staff fussed over her. She hadn't lost consciousness but with all of the blood it was a definite cause for concern. Hotch and the rest of the team watched as she was wheeled into an exam room.
Reid and JJ rushed out the automatic doors toward the parking lot but there was no sign of Morgan. They looked at each other confused as they split up to cover the lot. A large semi that held the hospital's MRI machine took up the first row of spaces blocking the view of the street. Both agents worked their way around the large obstruction and where stopped in their tracks at the sight of two male bodies shot multiple times. Both were dead.
"JJ, they're agents."
Reid pulled out one of the men's credentials and showed it to her.
"Yeah. Security."
JJ kept searching the body next to her and noticed something odd.
"His gun is missing."
Reid looked for the other's firearm and pulled it from his holster.
"This one hasn't been fired." He stared at JJ. "This was an ambush!"
The two joined Hotch and Rossi in the waiting room. Rossi was on the phone with local PD who was headed over to take over the investigation.
"We found two security agents in the parking lot…dead." Reid began.
"It looks like an ambush." JJ piped in.
"Morgan?" Hotch asked.
"No sign of him anywhere." Reid answered.
A man in his mid thirties entered the room interrupting the conversation.
"Erin Strauss?"
"Yes. Agent Hotchner; these are Agents Rossi, Reid, and Jarreau. How is she, doctor?"
"Other than a nasty bump on her head she's fine."
"But what about the blood?" JJ asked.
"Not hers. She has no other injuries. She's a little shaken up but otherwise she's fine and free to go."
"Thank you, Doctor." Hotch replied.
The team waited for the doctor to leave before saying anything else.
"Rossi, you and I will go see Erin. Reid and JJ go and fill Garcia and Emily in on what's happening." Hotch ordered.
Erin Strauss sat on the side of the gurney waiting for her discharge papers to be brought in. Hotch and Rossi entered and noticed that she was in a sour mood.
"How are you feeling?" Rossi asked.
"Pretty good considering a Federal Agent just tried to kill me!"
"What do you mean?" Hotch asked.
"Agent Morgan! That's what I mean!"
"That doesn't sound like Morgan? What happened?"
"We stepped outside. I wanted to talk to him without any distraction." She began.
"Did you know that he's secretly investigating Ian Doyle?"
"Erin, Doyle is dead?"
"I know that, Dave! But he insists on bringing down Doyle's entire network!"
"What's that got to do with what just happened?" Hotch asked.
"I asked him about it. Next thing I knew he grabbed Agent Becker's gun and started shooting. I managed to duck behind a car and pulled my gun. I managed to get a shot off but he ran off."
"Erin, it doesn't add up! What would make him react that way?"
"Aaron, are you accusing me of lying? I'm telling you that's what happened!"
"No, I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm…"
"I want him found! I want him behind bars! I already have agents on it!"
"Something's wrong! There's got to be an explanation for this! Let us bring him in."
"No! Absolutely not! I don't want your team on this! Your focus is staying here and taking care of Agent Prentiss. If I hear of any of you looking into this, I'll have your credentials!"
"Erin, you can't be serious!"
"And if I find out you've been in contact with Agent Morgan and haven't told me, I'll have all of you brought up on charges! Am I clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Dave?"
"Crystal."
Without another word the two left her and headed back to Emily's room.
"Something doesn't feel right, Aaron."
"I hear you. She's adamant about us not getting involved."
"Something smells fishy."
"We need to find Morgan."
Home of Derek Morgan –
Just as Morgan thought Federal agents and local PD had already arrived at his home. He'd identified at least three unmarked federal vehicles along with five squad cars. The lights were on and his door had been kicked in. He was glad that Penelope hadn't been there when they arrived. She would have been frightened and the thought of that infuriated him. He needed to get into his home but it didn't look like they would be leaving anytime soon and even when they did he knew someone would be lurking in the darkness waiting for him to return. Even though Garcia had brought him a change of clothes along with his phone he still wanted to shower and retrieve his gun. Now that was going to be near impossible.
Flashback…
Strauss had insisted they talk. She wanted to take a walk away from the distraction of his friend lying in bed and the beeping and hissing of the monitors. Reluctantly and only because he had no real choice he walked out of the hospital into the parking lot while she made idle chatter. She kept walking until they were on the other side of the mobile MRI unit. Now as he thought about it, out of the view of the hospital's security cameras. She again began to question him about the Doyle case and his persistence in continuing his investigation. Her security detail kept a lookout silently fading into the background as if they were unaware of their conversation.
He was surprised to see Clyde Easter step from a parked car nearby and approach. He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling as the man came closer nor did he have a chance to question his presence; things went downhill from there. Without a word Clyde pulled his gun and pointed it at him. Instead of the security agents reacting, one of them grabbed Morgan from behind holding him in place as Easter got closer. Strauss just stood there watching, was she in shock, he wondered. Then suddenly, Easter pointed the gun and shot the other security agent. Still, Strauss remained still. How odd for a veteran agent who'd spent many years in the field, an agent who was an expert in self-defense. Then the gun was again trained on him quickly he used a judo move that freed himself from the grasp of the agent and turning forcing the agent's body in front and as the bullet meant for him smashed into the body of his captor, Morgan ran barely escaping a rain of bullets whizzing past his head. It wasn't until he'd stopped to catch his breath about a mile away that he realized he hadn't escaped unscathed.
End Flashback…
His arm throbbed but luckily it was just a flesh wound nothing that he couldn't deal with. Still, he would have to attend to it soon. He leaned against a tree and tried to figure out his next move; Garcia would be frantic by now with worry. He had to find a way to get a message to her without putting her in danger.
Home of Erin Strauss –
It had been two hours since the botched fiasco at the hospital. Derek Morgan should be dead by now but instead he was running around free even more determined to find the truth and bring down Doyle's network. She was certain he still did not know her role in everything, still it was imperative now more than ever that he die.
Clyde Easter handed her an icepack and she gently held it to the back of her head.
"Did you have to hit me so hard?" She said angrily.
"I had to make it convincing didn't I?"
"Something tells me you've been waiting to do that for a long time."
"Honestly, Erin, it pained me to even think about laying a hand on you."
"Right."
Clyde took the seat across from her at the kitchen table and sipped his tea that he'd made them earlier.
"I'm beginning to believe this man has a guardian angel." Clyde began.
"He's definitely one not to be taken lightly, that's for sure."
"So what's next, Boss?"
"I've got the local PD and a dozen agents looking for him. It won't be long before he's apprehended. As far as everyone's concerned he's a rogue agent who tried to kill his superior, and killed two other agents."
"You're an impressive woman, Erin. I've never seen anyone think on their feet like that and taking Agent Becker's gun so that everyone would think Morgan is armed, brilliant! Remind me to always stay on your good side."
"I haven't gotten this far by accident and I'm not about to let the likes of Agent Morgan bring me down."
"You seem pretty confident. As far as we know he's probably half way across the country by now."
"No, he's not. He's right here."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because Agent Morgan is in love and he's not about to leave his lady love behind. He has a hero's mentality and he's dedicated to keeping her safe."
Clyde smiled, stood and moved behind Strauss. As he gently massaged her shoulders he looked down on the evil woman, impressed at the lengths she was willing to go to win.
"We take her it's as good as putting a bullet in his head."
"Exactly."
Potomac General Hospital – 2 hours later…
Penelope was exhausted and numb with worry. She knew the man she loved would never do the things Strauss was accusing him of. She was going stir crazy in the small overcrowded hospital room feeling useless while other agents worked on unraveling this case. She didn't understand why Hotch had relented to standing down and not doing anything to help Morgan. Did he actually believe that Morgan would try to kill Strauss and murder other agents in cold blood?
Quietly she excused herself from the room, the others were either dozing or had gone to another room that had been set up for their use. A hot cup of coffee sounded good but first she needed to make a stop at the ladies room.
She pushed the door open and was relieved that it was empty. She took a long look at herself in the mirror and didn't like what she saw. Her makeup needed a touch up and her hair was a mess and she tried hard to ignore the dark circles under her eyes. She bent down to wet a paper towel and as she did the door opened ruining her moment of solitude.
"Excuse me, ma'am?"
She stood and turned toward the unfamiliar voice.
"Yes?" She answered puzzled.
The woman smiled as she closed the gap between them. Penelope had no time to protest the intrusion into her personal space and she never saw the small black taser until it was pressed to her side and the pain forced her body to fall in a heap to the floor. The next shock to her body sent her plunging into utter darkness.