Authors Note: Thanks once again to all who've read this and reviewed or put the story on their alerts. Not that the alerts are working. Anyway here's the next chapter and remember feedback is a gift so push the button when you are done and let me know what you think.
He didn't hate hospitals like Reid did; he just saw them as a necessary evil in this world. They were simply a place to go to when you had wounds that didn't heal on their own. He wished they were more attractive to look at, and that they smelled better, but you couldn't have everything.
Speaking of having everything, he wondered as he got onto the elevator if it wasn't time for him to try that out in his own life. Sure he had his precious freedom and a job he loved. He could go out any weekend he was home and carouse with his buddies, or find a willing babe for some lovin, but lately it was beginning to wear thin.
The truth was that he was a thirty year old guy who still acted like he was in college. He didn't know when it had begun to change, but recently he'd started to crave the things his father had, a home, a wife and yes even a child. He watched the people around him obtain all he wanted, and it tore into him like the bite of a particularly vicious attack dog. It wasn't right that nerdy Dr Reid had an adoring and beautiful woman to love, and who loved him in return. Where had he gone wrong that his best friend had these things and he didn't? His phone beeped as the elevator doors opened and he smiled.
"Hey baby-girl, don't you ever go home?"
"My babies need me here," she flung back at him.
"What ya got for me gorgeous?"
"I found out some interesting things about our victims. Charlie Yu grew up in New York. His older brother was a Marine. His name was Robert. He was killed in Beirut in 1983.
"Okay, what else," Morgan leaned against one wall while he listened to Garcia.
"The second victim was Moses Johnson, also a native of New York. He attended Jackson High school and stayed out of trouble. His older brother Martin was the black sheep of the family, a gang member with a rap sheet the length of my arm. He was killed in a shootout with police seven years ago. One of the cops was Detective Taylor.
"Did Mac Taylor happen to be the one to kill Johnson's brother?"
"You win the cracker jack prize sweetheart. He was processing a scene at a convenience store that the gang robbed and Johnson came back, supposedly to retrieve a weapon one of the newer gang members dropped in a panic. And you can guess how it went from there, sweetie."
"Yeah, baby girl I guess I can."
"The last victim, Timothy Nickels, wasn't a pillar of society. He was arrested twice by Detective Flack for assault and each time Detective Taylor's team worked the scene."
"Does Nickels happen to have a brother?"
"You see… I love it when you read my mind sugar."
"Oh baby, if you only knew. Now tell me about Nickels brother.
"He's alive and well and living in Connecticut."
"Thanks doll, I owe you."
"Yes you do, and one of these days I'm going to collect."
"Okay baby," he shut his phone and pushed off the wall.
His feet took him to Detective Flacks room, but his mind was elsewhere. Maybe it was time for him to acknowledge how he'd been feeling about a certain blond hacker.
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Stella dozed lightly in the chair next to Flacks hospital bed. They'd talked until the doctor kicked her out and told her to let him get some rest. She'd just come back from grabbing some junk food and coffee. Don was asleep and she began to think that maybe she should just go home. She wanted to stay with him, but she was so tired.
Her phone beeped and she frowned. If Mac were calling it must not be good news. "Bonasera!"
"Stella, we got another victim."
"Great, where are you?"
"I don't want you out here; I have enough help with the profilers. I just wanted to warn you that one of them is on the way to question Flack.
"But Mac, it's late, he's asleep."
"I know that, but we don't have a choice. The perp left us a DVD; I think he's ready to make his demands."
"I've been talking to Don and he doesn't remember what happened."
'Stella please let Agent Morgan try, maybe he can help Don."
"Okay Mac, you're right. How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay… just tired of this guy's game. He killed a woman Stella, and made me think for just a moment that it was Peyton. I was never as scared in my life as I was driving down here to the scene."
"It wasn't her."
"No but the victim's name is Claire, and she's the same age as Claire was when she died."
"Jesus Mac, what kind of sicko are we dealing with?"
"I don't know… that's why we need all we can get from Flack."
"Okay, just call me if you need me."
"Thanks Stel."
She closed her phone and turned back to Flack. There was a short knock on the door and a tall, well muscled black man entered the room.
"I'm SSA Derek Morgan," he said softly to her.
"Detective Stella Bonasera, you got here fast Agent Morgan, I just got off the phone with Mac. I know you need to talk to Don, but he's asleep right now. He doesn't need you to interrogate him."
"How about we let him, speak for himself," Flack said a little groggily from his hospital bed.
Stella whipped around and saw him smiling at her, his face pale and his eyes a little cloudy.
"Detective, I'm Agent Morgan. Can you remember anything about what happened to you, anything at all?"
"I'm sorry but I can't remember much after I took the doc up to the scene."
"Think about what you were doing at the crime scene. Were you facing the room, or was your back to the door."
"I hope you're not implyin I wasn't doin my job."
Morgan rolled his eyes, "No man, I'm just trying to get a sense of what happened."
Flack was quiet for a very long time, and then he said, "I remember the smell. I was near the door tryin to get some air but that wasn't workin too good. The doc was goin over the body, and there were two uniforms with us. A call came in, officer needs assistance, and I told them to respond."
Stella locked eyes with him and she knew what he was going to say. "Don, this is not your fault."
"He thinks it is. I can see it in his eyes." Flack replied.
Well this was not to be allowed, no one was going to question Flack's abilities while she was there to put a stop to it.
"Is that true Agent Morgan, do you think he made a bad choice?"
"No, I don't, you're both putting words in my mouth and I haven't said anything."
"We were the closest to the call, we had to respond."
"You had to respond Detective," Stella heard the emphasis on you and was about to tell him to back off when Flack responded.
"I didn't want ta leave, if that's what you're sayin!"
"I want you to leave now, you're upsetting him." She wanted to call someone to throw this guy out, who did he think he was?
Morgan held up his hands and she could see he was struggling to hold in his temper. Well good, these profilers thought they had all the answers. She would just see about that!
"I'm not trying to say anything, you guys are so touchy. Would you settle down and let me help you!"
Stella threw up her hands and said, "Fine, but you better not tire him out, he needs to rest."
"Stel… stop talkin about me like I'm not here."
"Don, I just want to -"
"I know and I appreciate the whole lioness guarding her cub thing you got goin on, but if you don't mind, I'd like to argue with Agent Morgan in peace.
"Fine… I'll just go get some coffee.
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Morgan watched her leave the room. She was one beautiful woman and quite a spitfire. "So detective, do you know how lucky you are." He gestured after Stella.
"Yeah I do, but let's get back to the crime scene."
"Okay man, just making an observation. So you were watching the ME do her thing and what happened next?"
He watched the detective gather his thoughts, "We found a dark hair at the scene that wasn't Dr Driscoll's and it isn't yours, it belongs to a low life named Mickey Patterson.
He saw surprise and then anger flit across Flack's face. "Is that who did all this, that little shit. I musta busted him five times in the last year for petty stuff. Neva thought he was capable of murder or kidnappin."
"He's not the one we're looking for but he did see who shot you. Right now he isn't cooperating and his lawyer will spring him quick since we aren't charging him with anything."
"I remember the doc said somethin about the slashin of his throat, and there was a creakin noise, but the whole buildin was creakin. I didn't think nothin of it. Then I don't remember anythin except…"
"What is it?"
"A silencer, I remember a pop like a silencer equipped gun. There weren't no pain though, I just hit the floor and I saw his shoes. They were standard issue cop shoes, shined up like mirrors. Then I don't remember nothin after that."
"You're girl is right man, you couldn't have stopped this, the un-sub would've taken the doc one way or another."
"Yeah, but it don't make me feel no betta."
"Okay, that's enough." Detective Bonasera was back with coffee. She gestured to the door and Morgan decided not to push it. The man hadn't seen the un-subs face.
"Look if you remember anything, have Detective Bonasera call me." He laid his card on the table next to Flack's bed and turned to leave.
"Are ya gonna find her alive Agent Morgan."
"My teammates are the best in the world; we won't stop till we catch this guy."
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At the lab, the team was about to watch the video when Adam Ross poked his head into the room. "Ah - guys, since when did I become the girl Friday for the lab."
"Adam, what are you talking about," Mac pinched the bridge of his nose and glared at the younger man.
"There's a call here for a Dr Spencer Reid, some doctor from Bennington Sanitarium. It's on line two."
Danny watched the younger man pick up the extension, and he saw him go even whiter if that was possible. Tears formed in Dr Reid's eyes, and he thanked the person on the other end of the phone. He said he'd be there as soon as he could. He wondered what was going on the felt a rush of pity for the younger man at his next words.
He dropped the phone and faced Hotch. "Ah - that was Dr Singh from Bennington, and m-my mom h-had a stroke this m-morning and -"
"Reid don't stand there explaining yourself, get the hell out of here."
"Th-thanks Hotch, I'll c-call you from Nevada." He swiped a hand under his eyes and turned toward the door, without another word.
Mac started the DVD player and they saw Peyton sitting on a small cot in one corner of a white walled room. Danny felt the breath he didn't know he was holding leave his lungs in a rush. She wasn't hurt, thank God. He glanced at Mac and saw that his boss's face remained expressionless.
A voice began to speak, a cold mechanically altered voice out of a nightmare. "Detective Taylor as you can see Dr Driscoll is unharmed. If you want to keep her that way you'll do as you're told. I propose a trade, your lover for your new young friend. He's no biological relation to you and you haven't had time to become attached, so you shouldn't have trouble turning him over to his rightful place with me.
I'm glad the FBI has graced us with its presence. They may observe but they may not interfere with the exchange. As an added incentive for your cooperation Agent Gideon, the youngest one will be my next guest. So don't try anything stupid, I'd hate to harm your "son." After all family is the most important part of life, isn't it? I'll be calling you Detective in one hour." The screen went black and Gideon shot out of his chair.
"What does he mean by the youngest will be his next guest," Mac asked Gideon, but he and Hotch were already running out the door.
"He's going after Reid, the call was a trap." Emily said springing to her feet and leaping for the door. Hawkes, Danny, and Mac looked at each other, and then Danny was sprinting after the agents.