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One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

The Explorer rounded the curve in the road. Standing in the middle of the blacktop, patchy with snow and ice, were two deer with impressive racks of antlers on their heads. They just stood there, staring at the oncoming truck with large, chestnut colored, eyes.

These facts registered in his brain in an instant. As did the fact that if he didn't do something, he'd hit at least one of them. He jammed down on the breaks and twisted the wheel at the same time one of the deer bounded away into the pristine snow to the left of the road.

This time the truck began to spin like a top on a table. He tried to pump the brakes, and turn the wheel in the opposite direction, but nothing seemed to help. His heart thumped at a down instead of pounding and time seemed to slow down as the truck spun around and forward at the same time.

Time and motion caught up to him as the truck smashed through the barrier of snow to the east of the road. The truck tipped and slammed back down to the ground snapping his body forward into his seatbelt. The air bag deployed and everything went dark.

----

Something drilled into his head, loudly pushing everything out. He opened one eye and saw the door panel to his left and part of the window. He tried to open the other eye, but his face seemed to be stuck into some kind of strange fabric. His face hurt, as if someone had slapped him. Oh God… Clarissa must have found him. He jerked upright and groaned aloud as the pain radiated though his head and neck.

What happened?

The sudden silence around him helped at bit with the pain in his head, but only just a little. He looked up and saw the window again. He tried to remember how he'd gotten into this predicament. Oh yeah… He'd tried to avoid a couple of deer in the road.

"Good job, Supervisory Special Agent! Morgan will laugh his ass off when he hears about this."

If he heard about it! Reid turned his head to the right -,screaming in pain as he did - to look out the other window. The sun hung a bit lower in the sky. He hadn't been out long, but night was falling. What did he think he could do after it got dark?"

He sat up as slowly as he could. His whole body felt like someone had thrown him into a wall. His back, neck and knees throbbed between low grade ache, to sharp pain. It was like someone had crawled into his skin with hot needles.

He struggled out of the seat belt and looked around. Everything he'd put on the seat including his cane lay on the floor. He tried to reach down for the cane, but it hurt too much to move. What could he do? Try to get out of the car and get back up to the road. Surely, it wasn't so deserted that someone wouldn't see him.

He looked at the clock on the dash. He'd only been out for just a few minutes. It felt like hours had passed by in the blackness. At least the truck stayed warm as sun filtered in from the blue sky. He looked away because he'd lost his sunglasses and the light burned in his eyes.

What about your phone?

He dug into the pocket, against protesting muscles in his shoulders and neck. The phone slipped out of his fingers like a wet bar of soap. He chased it around the pocket for what seemed like a year. Finally, he caught it and pulled it out of the pocket. It looked like it was fully charged, but in a second look, he couldn't get a signal. How could that be possible? He was only twenty miles from the nearest town and this was the twenty first century. Now it felt like he'd been left alone in his own private white hell. He'd come so close to freeing himself for another hell of earth. What would he so when the sun went down? He reached forward slowly for the keys to the ignition. The truck started smoothly and he cheered. If he could get it back on the road...

Then… a loud bang on the window startled him. Pain flared and tears collected in his eyes as his head turned involuntarily to the source of the noise.

---

The jet set down smoothly on the small airport runway. It taxied slowly through the late afternoon air and the bright sunlight to the far end of the tarmac. The sun burned it hung lower in the sky, turning clouds golden-white. The flight had taken less then forty minutes. Morgan was sure Strauss would crow loudly at the use of the resource when they could have driven, but he didn't care. It was more important to find Reid fast then try to save money on jet fuel.

The jet turned to face the black SUV and one lone man, who leaned up against the door to the driver's side of the truck. He wore dark sunglasses and a tan coat over dark slacks. His expressionless face greeted them as they deplaned minutes later in a short, single file line.

"It's good to see you JJ." The man said stepping forward to meet her.

"Thanks for coming George." She gestured to the team. "This is SSA Derek Morgan, SSA Aaron Hotchner, and SSA David Rossi."

"It's nice to meet you. Let's get in out of the cold and I'll fill you in on what I know so far."

They piled into the SUV and the stranger started the engine. "I'm George Finley. JJ and I went to college together. I was born in Pennsylvania. That's how JJ and I got together."

"Together," Morgan asked his raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up Morgan. It's been over for a long time."

"JJ's great, but she wanted the FBI and I chose to become a cop."

"I don't understand," Rossi asked. "You're not a police officer now. Why are you here?"

Finley smiled. "I see what you meant about your friends JJ."

"It's annoying how much they pick up on sometimes." JJ said and laughed at the combined looks of chagrin on their faces. "George quit the force because of the politics. He wanted to help and answer only to his clients. He became a private detective a few years ago. I called him because he knows the area we're going to very well. He grew up there."

George put the SUV in gear and drove to the exit at the end of the private runway. "My family still lives in New Hope. We have an hour and a half drive ahead of us to get to where your friend could be hidden."

"It's the only lead we have." JJ responded to his unspoken question. "The police and the FBI have to be kept out of this for as long as we can."

"You said they think Agent Reid shot Agent Prentiss. I think we can convince them that's not the case."

"What did you find out?"

"I took a look at the ballistics report your analyst sent me. I still have many friends on the force. I had them run a comparison for me and we found the Russian. The bullet matched to another homicide in Philadelphia. The PPD thinks it was a contract hit and your Russian is a known hit man. He'll do anything for the right price"

There was a general uproar until Morgan said, "Where is he?"

George glanced over at the Unit Chief. "I don't know… The word is out with INTERPOL and the FBI as well as every other law enforcement agency in the world. JJ, there's a file between the floor and my seat."

JJ picked it up and opened it. "His name is Ivan Gregorevich. Date of birth, January 23 1975. He was born in Kolomna. His father worked for the railroad and his mother cleaned homes for a living. His father was an alcoholic and abusive to Ivan and his brothers.

"His criminal record is extensive, pick a crime and he's done it. He's a nasty piece of work and I'm surprised your kidnapper's allied herself with him." George added.

"She's mentally unstable." JJ told him. "She had the money to pay him very well for his help."

"Ivan doesn't like to stick around once he's made his contact. He has a knack for disappearing and for not leaving evidence behind." JJ said as she read more of the file.

"He made a mistake this time." Hotch said.

"Yeah… He didn't kill his victim and he left behind the bullet." Morgan observed.

"Don't worry… I'll help you find him."

The truck stayed quiet for a long time while the agents thought about what Finley told them. The sun led them as they sped west. The sky began to go from bright blue to rose, violet and gold as the miles passed by them. The tension increased degree by degree, the closer they got to their destination.

Small towns and villages stood still as they drove through them and out the other side. Snow and fir trees lined the road, and the sun used the trees to throw shadows at them as they traveled.

"The area we're traveling to is pretty secluded." George said a little apprehension in his light blue eyes. "I used to go cross country skiing out there with my brother when the Flores's lived out there. They built the cabin as a winter vacation home about twenty years ago. It's the only property on the road. They liked their privacy so they built it twelve miles off the main highway. There's not a lot of traffic on the main drag. You're lucky if you get one or two cars along there every hour this time of year. Although it picks up in the summer time."

"So you're saying she'll hear or see us coming." Hotch said.

"Yes… I know she will. There's nothing we can do about it though."

---

Emily opened her eyes to more pain in her chest. Her headache had backed off to a low dull roar though. The ceiling above her head looked strange. What had happened to the white tiles of the hospital room?

She tried to sit up, but felt as weak as a newly born kitten. She licked very dry lips and they stung as if someone had put salt on her tongue. "Garcia?"

"Well look who's awake. How are you feeling my dove?"

"I feel like I got shot in the chest."

"Good, sarcasm is very good Agent Prentiss," Garcia retorted as she came over to the bed.

"I'd like some water."

"I think that can be arranged."

Garcia left the room and Emily stared at the ceiling. Why was the house so quiet? She remembered where she was and why she was there, but it was too quiet.

"Here you go my beauty. Drink up!"

Emily drank the cold water from the glass Garcia gave her. It felt very good on her lips and her throat. "Where is everyone?" She demanded of the tech standing over her.

"They went to Pennsylvania. We got a lead on Reid."

"You didn't wake me up!" Emily nearly yelled as she tried to get out of bed. Garcia pushed her back very easily.

"No… You can't travel and you know it."

Emily dropped back down on her pillow. "I don't want to be here just waiting around again. Why does he do this?" She suddenly demanded of Garcia. "Why do we always have to wait for him to get out of the hospital or be rescued from some psycho?"

"Because that's who he is." Garcia sat on the edge of the bed. "Would you want him to change?"

"No… I just can't believe this is happening again."

Garcia carefully hugged her friend. "Come on… Let's get you sitting up and we'll have something to eat."

"I can't eat anything but soft foods." Emily complained.

"Then well both have some cottage cheese, followed by a wonderful chocolate pudding."

Emily made a face while Garcia laughed. "At least you only have to eat this way for a couple of days."

Garcia left the bedroom a second time and Emily let the smile she'd tried to give her friend slip away. She should be out there helping Reid, not sitting around. She pushed up again and put her feet over the side of the bed. Perhaps she could find another way to help Reid. If she couldn't go to Reid, at least she could make a call to her mother and try to get the FBI off his back. It wasn't his fault that any of this had happened. If only she could see his beautiful eyes again. Then maybe her heart wouldn't hurt so much.

Her head began to swirl around her. Her legs turned to jelly as she tried to take a step forward to the door of the bedroom. Everything got grey in her eyes and her stomach churned. She stumbled back and hit the edge of the bed and sat down hard. Her heart thumped hard and sent the blood racing into her arms and legs. Sweat popped out on her forehead as she tired to stand again.

The grey around her eyes turned black in spots that grew and grew as she tried to get her breath. Everything went black and she crashed to the floor.