Here's the next chapter! Yay! I'm actually very excited about this one. So excited in fact, I almost posted yesterday, but I managed to refrain myself. I'm trying very hard to stick to one a day.

Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the wonderful reviews! I got 14 for the last chapter and I was blown away (that's a lot for me) and if the reviews continue like this, then this will soon become my most reviewed story! Yay!

Thanks to my beta, Little Miss Artist, who I've been pelting with chapters lately.

Also, I have a very important question for you, but I'm going to stick it at the end, so don't skip reading the bottom AN!

An action doesn't have to be wrong just because it is not logical. And it doesn't have to be right just because it has logic.

~Lion Feuchtwanger

Chapter 12: Putting the Plan In Motion

"I have the information of Mayella Roberts you requested, Sir," Garcia said over the phone.

"Alright, one second," Hotch put her on speakerphone and set the phone down in the center of the table, "go ahead."

"Mayella Roberts is seventeen years old and lives under the guardianship of her twenty-five year old brother, Christopher. The mother died when they were really young and the dad died about five years ago; drank himself to death. Gaurdianship of Mayella went to her brother because he was over nineteen. Apparently Mayella's teachers thought she should move up a grade or two when she was younger, but the father wouldn't agree to it."

"Underappreciated brilliance – fits the profile," Hotch said quickly.

"She was expelled from highschool a little over a month ago for supposedly poisoning her ex-boyfriend, but no official charges were pressed."

"And the first body was found about three weeks ago right? So that was probably the stressor," Hotch said.

"What about the brother?" asked Prentiss.

"He was a cardiothoracic surgeon until roughly two months ago when he was fired for a medical malpractice."

"Medical background - also fits," Rossi said.

"So, do you think it's them?" Prentiss asked Hotch.

"Even if it's not, it fits the profile too well for us to not follow the lead. Address, Garcia?"

Garcia gave them the address and they headed out to the SUV's praying they would find their friends there.

All three, Hotch, Prentiss and Rossi, were masters of compartmentalizing and no emotion was evident on their faces. Guilt and worry as well as grief and determination floated around the car, but most of all, hope.

They would find Morgan and Reid and stop the sick pyschos who did this to them if it was the last thing they did.

"Ready?"

Reid nodded.

"Alright, then let's begin."

Reid fidgeted nervously, not because he didn't think he could answer the logic puzzle, but because of what would happen after.

He and Morgan had spent about an hour creating an escape plan and used the other four or so hours to catch up on sleep. They'd need it if this was going to work. They had gone over everything they could think of and had finally settled on something. But, at least in the beginning part of it, Reid would have to do most of the work. He didn't mind, but he wasn't sure how long his leg would be able to support him.

"Six drinking glasses stand in a row on a table. The first three are full of juice and the others are empty. By moving only one glass, how can you arrange them so the empty and full glasses alternate?" May asked.

Reid almost didn't believe her at first. That was it? That was easy. Maybe after seeing how close he came with the last difficult one (measuring water) she decided to give him a break? Well whatever her reasons, Reid was grateful. "Pour the second glass into the fifth glass," he said.

"Very good," May said. "Be right back," she said cheerily. Reid almost sagged with relief, but then he remembered that he had to get ready.

He stood up on his shaking legs and made his way over to a knife on the wall. Working quickly and effectively, Reid sawed off the rope binding his still sore hands. He didn't have long and he was starting to worry the binds wouldn't cut in time.

Finally, the cut rope fell away and Reid rotated his wrists a couple of times.

Wait, what was that noise?

Oh god, it's the locks! The door! May's already back! I took too long! I'm not going to have time! I'll be punished and Morgan will be punished and…

Reid managed to snap himself out of his panic and practically threw himself at the wall of tools. For once Reid was glad for the heavy lock on the door, it gave him the last few seconds he needed. Grabbing a heavy wrench he'd noticed before, he quickly slid into position right next the door. Even though his finger felt like it was on fire, he got a firm grip on the metal tool and raised it above his head, prepared to strike.

So far so good.

The door opened and Mayella began to step in, none the wiser to the trap she was walking in to.

But then something very unexpected happened and the perfect plan started to fall apart.

Morgan paced anxiously around the room.

He hated every aspect of the plan. By the time he would be able to get involved, Reid would have already done all the hard work. And had it gone wrong he would be the one in immediate danger should it go wrong as well.

Morgan had tried to be meticulous, he had tried to think of every detail for the plan to help keep Reid safe. He'd mulled over everything that could go wrong and he and Reid had tried to plan accordingly. But they couldn't have thought of everything, it just wasn't possible.

But he couldn't think like that. He had to have faith that Reid would pull it off without a hitch.

The door started opening and Mayella stepped in.

"Food or water?"

She didn't seem to suspect anything. So far so good. In fact, Morgan was so excited about the very real possibility that they could be out of this hell in less than an hour, he almost forgot to answer.

"Well?"

"Oh, um," a little stalling wouldn't hurt, Reid could use the extra time, "food." It wouldn't matter in the end. She nodded and left.

Morgan's heartbeat sped up and he could feel adrenaline start to pump through his veins. This very second, just down the hall Reid was setting the plan in motion. He'd be cutting the rope then grabbing some tool or other he'd seen earlier.

Despite the excitement and hope, Morgan couldn't help feel frustrated. Here he was, doing nothing, while Reid was working to save both their skins. But Morgan had faith he'd be able to pull it off. Reid was no doubt preparing to not May unconscious and steal the key from her necklace. They figured it'd be about two or three minutes before Chris noticed May wasn't coming back upstairs for some reason, but that was still enough time for Reid to free Morgan and together they could no doubt tackle him. And even if Chris came early, he wouldn't know. Reid would still have the element of surprise. The whole plan rested on the element of surprise being in their favor.

Morgan just had to pray Reid's injuries would stand the mistreatment long enough. Reid was in no way weak, but there was only so much pain one could person would deal with while still fighting someone.

Any minute now, Reid was going to throw open the door and Morgan would hurry to his aid…

Any minute now…

What was taking so long?

TBC…

Now, for my VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION that was mentioned above. *Drum roll please!* Should I do a sequel? I personally would love to do a sequel, but I'm not sure if it's already dragged on a bit too much. It's up to you guys! But I need to know before the next chapter, because there's a crucial point for the sequel in that and I need to get rid of it if you guys don't want one.

Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!