Disclaimer: See chapter 1

xxxxxxxx

Joyce opened the front door and stepped into the living room. She could see into the kitchen from this vantage point and noted that a couple of stools had been knocked over. She approached the area and saw one of the kitchen drawers was open while pieces of duct tape and some kitchen shears littered the floor. The deadbolts had been locked. She went to the back door seeing that those deadbolts were locked as well. Joyce crept quietly down the hallway, glancing in the bathroom, her bedroom and Carla's room. Nothing seemed amiss and there was no sign of her 'guest'. She carried on down the hall to Tyler's room. Something wasn't right. The picture of Tyler and Garth, it wasn't at the same angle as it had been when she'd dusted. She always made sure it was the same every time. That nosy little bitch had been here. No one came in here but her. It was her place to be with Tyler and touch his things. She had to make it right she thought as she proceeded into the room. A few feet in she had the feeling something else was amiss though she couldn't put her finger on it when a baseball bat hit her hard across the back sending her sprawling to the floor.

xxxxxxxx

"What do we do about Detective Tully and the others?" JJ asked as the team prepared for the raid on Joyce Burgess' home.

"Tully's too close to this situation whether he realizes it or not. I don't know if I trust him not to tell his wife. He hasn't kept his mouth shut so far and she could warn her step-sister," Hotch replied.

"You don't think he actually knew or suspected something, do you?" Rossi asked.

Hotch paused for a moment. "That's the thing, Cord overlooked it. I'm not sure about Tully. I don't know who we can count on but I don't want to ride roughshod over the local LEOs either."

"Hotch," Morgan said, "a young woman's life may be at stake."

"If I might make a suggestion," Rossi interjected.

"What is it Dave?"

"I think we can trust Officer Tucci," Rossi replied. "He'll know who we can count on."

"Okay," Hotch nodded his head at the suggestion. "Dave you get in touch with Tucci. Let's go." The team headed toward their SUVs.

xxxxxxxx

The blow had hurt like hell and knocked the wind out of Joyce for a few moments but she was quickly up and running down the hall after Kayleigh who she spotted at the front door opening the deadbolts. "Stop right there you little bitch," she screamed at Kayleigh as she ran towards her and grabbed the back of her jacket attempting to pull her back into the room. Kayleigh spun around raising the bat that was still in her hand only to see Joyce reaching into her pocket and pointing the newly purchased .22 at her. "My gun trumps your bat."

xxxxxxxx

"Are you sure about this?" Tucci asked Rossi from his cell as he and Officers Crandall and Hurley barreled down the streets, sirens blaring, to meet up with the team outside of 1452 Alderman Road, "Tully's sister-in-law?"

"We're fairly certain and we believe she's armed and has got Kayleigh Beresford as a hostage." Rossi replied. "She fits the profile and Kayleigh had gotten in her way. Mission based killers will remove all obstacles to their mission."

The SUVs and two cruisers pulled up in front of the home on the quiet tree lined street almost simultaneously. Drapes were pulled aside by neighbors eager to see what was going on. FBI agents and CPD officers all in Kevlar vests were rushing the Burgess home. "Hurley, Rossi and JJ, take the back, " Hotch ordered. "Crandall and Prentiss the garage entrance; the rest of us will take the front. Remember this woman is mentally unstable and possibly armed with a hostage."

Hotch knocked on the door with Morgan flanking him on one side and Reid and Tucci on the other. "Joyce Burgess, federal agents, open up."

"Hotch, the car in the garage is Kayleigh's," Prentiss said into her wrist mic. "The car in the driveway is still warm so she must have recently gotten home."

"Joyce Burgess," Hotch repeated a little louder, "federal agents, open up." Still no response came from inside the house. Hotch spoke into his wrist mic, "On three, one…two…three."

On three the sound of both splintering wood and smashing glass was heard as Hotch, Morgan, Reid and Tucci entered the living room, guns drawn. Prentiss and Crandall came in from the garage door, weapons also drawn while Rossi, JJ and Hurley had had to smash the glass to get the deadbolts open came in last. They saw a neat living room with a fireplace, a mantel which contained a large selection of mortars and pestles.

JJ motioned her head towards the objects. "I guess Dr. Kinley was pretty close about the blunt object."

Officers Crandall and Hurley monitored the exits while the rest cleared the house. One by one the agents and Tucci went through the rooms and, "Clear," could be heard after each one.

"You notice the bedrooms?" Rossi asked.

"Everything past orderly, everything present disorderly," Hotch tilted his head toward the winding carpeted stairway that led to the basement. They filed down the stairs and found at the foot of the stairway a large room that had been broken up into different areas. A black sofa sat against the wall to the right of the staircase while a matching loveseat was kitty corner on the left. An entertainment center, complete with a large screen television, DVD player and an extensive collection of video games was right across from the stairs. Hotch, Reid and Morgan went right while Rossi, Prentiss, JJ and Tucci went left. Further on past the couch, right of the stairway was a treadmill and a stationary exercise bike that could both be used while watching the TV. Beyond the exercise equipment toward the back or the room was a ping pong table with a ball and four paddles sitting on it. A variety of board games were stacked on the shelves that lined the back wall. At one time, Hotch thought sadly, this had been a happy place where this family had done fun things together. Along the left wall were doors that opened into different rooms.

Hotch opened the first door with Reid and Morgan at his side. He entered, his weapon steady in his outstretched arms, to find an office with a desk, computer, shelving with an impressive collection of books from the classics to science fiction to Harry Potter. A large overstuffed camel leather sofa that looked like if you sat in it you would completely lose yourself was against the wall below the basement window. That's what this family had done; Reid thought, sunk down in that soft leather and lost themselves in other worlds, the same place his mother had taught him to find his first adventures. He opened the closet and turned to Hotch and Morgan, "Clear."

Rossi and JJ found the same thing in the bathroom and storage room at the other end of the large basement. Prentiss and Tucci cleared what appeared to be the guest room. That left only one room. Unlike the others, it had large sliding doors. On Hotch's cue, Tucci pulled one side, JJ the other. The team, their arms steady in front of them looked into what was the laundry room which also contained the furnace and the water heater. In the middle of it all stood Joyce, her left arm around Kayleigh's throat while her right held the gun to the young woman's head. "Come any closer and I shoot her," Joyce said.

"Mrs. Burgess, Joyce," Hotch began. "We don't want anyone to get hurt here. You can see you're outnumbered, please put down the gun and come with us. We'll get you the help you need."

"Help, you think I need help. I don't need help. I need my baby back. I need my Tyler." Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke of her son.

"I know what you're feeling," Hotch said, taking a step closer.

"Uh uh, no closer," Joyce said as the tip of the gun met Kayleigh's head.

She's a strong person, Reid thought, looking at Kayleigh. He could see it in her green eyes as their eyes met; she must be scared to death, yet she hadn't flinched.

Hotch took a step backward. "I know what it's like," Hotch reiterated, "to lose someone you love to the actions of another. My wife was killed and I killed her killer. I should somehow feel better inside, right, I'd gotten my revenge, but it didn't make the pain any less. So killing all these people is not making the pain any less is it?"

Joyce shook her head but still kept her gun in full contact with Kayleigh. "I want to die," Joyce said at last. "I want to die and be with my baby. I wanted to kill myself but I couldn't. I was too weak." She paused and the team could see her swallow a lump in her throat. "But now I'm ready. You have to kill me or I kill her." She pushed the gun more forcefully against Kayleigh's head causing the reflex action to move away from the pressure.

"Joyce, no one wants to kill you," Hotch said, wondering if they even had a shot at her with Kayleigh in the way.

"You'd better decide fast," she replied as Kayleigh felt and heard the cocking of the gun against her head.