A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews throughout and for the last chapter. So pleased my surprise of who was taken worked so well.

Chapter 25 - Meeting of Minds

Wylie started up his laptop and tapped a few keys as Abbott and Lisbon stood behind him. 'Okay, here's the security footage from the motel. It's not great.' A hazy black and white video came up on screen.

'Can't you clean it up?' Abbott asked.

'Hang...on...' Wylie replied tapping some more keys quickly, his eyes fixed to the screen. Clearer footage could now be seen of the hotel's parking lot. Lisbon gasped as she saw what looked like a heavy set man dressed in black carry Jane over his shoulder.

'Can we zoom in? Get a better look at him' Lisbon said.

Wylie did so but the image broke up again, making the man's face become nothing but some grey squares on the screen. 'I have a program that'll clean this up but it'll take a while to run.'

'How long?' Abbott asked.

'Um...' Wylie replied.

'Just an estimate, Jason. I'm not expecting an answer set in stone' Abbott said, knowing Wylie dealt in figures and absolutes better than guesswork.

'Couple of hours' he replied.

'Okay, good, keep at it. What about the van?' Abbott pointed to a white van where Jane's apparently lifeless body was thrown into.

'No number plate and common. But I'm going to try to track it using traffic cams nonetheless. We have the general direction it travelled as it left the hotel at least.'

'What about Jane's cellphone?' Lisbon asked.

'Looks like it was switched off. I've been trying to remotely switch it back on periodically to get a location but so far nothing.'

Abbott and Lisbon looked at each other anxiously. Abbott squeezed Wylie's shoulder. 'Jason, I know this is putting a lot of pressure onto you.'

'I can do it' he replied enthusiastically.

'I know you can but you remember Grace Van Pelt?'

'Of course, she helped me before when she was consulting that time a couple of years back.'

'She's offered her services, remotely. Any use to you?'

He nodded furiously, 'Absolutely. She'd be a great help.'

Lisbon smiled. 'Great, I'll get her number for you.'

'Thanks, Lisbon' Wylie said. Before turning back to his screen he added, 'We're going to find him. We found you and we'd far less to go on' he smiled.

Lisbon choked up immediately and nodded. 'Thanks, Jason.'

As Wylie got to work Abbott and Lisbon walked over to a table and sat down. 'So, we have at least two people involved in this' Lisbon said.

Abbott nodded. 'Yes, one who is obviously trained as a marksman and a second who took Jane.'

'The guy who took Jane could be nothing more than a bit of muscle and even the shooter could just be a gun for hire' Lisbon pointed out.

As he nodded Abbott took a call on his phone. After a few minutes he put it away and addressed her again, pursing his lips. 'Spot where shot was fired was found. Not even a shell casing left. Whoever this is works clean.'

'So then how can they be sure it was definitely the place?'

Abbott took a breath. 'Envelope with red smiley face left there and...'

'And what?' Lisbon prodded, immediately concerned by his reticence.

'Your name written on it.'

Lisbon sighed, shaking her head. 'Jane said they weren't finished with me just yet.'

'Forensics are looking over it-'

'There won't be any fingerprints or DNA. We both know that, Abbott.'

'We have to check. Once they've done that they're bringing it here.'

'Did they open it?'

'Not yet but they will once they're finished sweeping it.'

'I want to open it.'

'Lisbon-'

'Abbott, this all started with me.'

'And don't forget you're still under their influence. Inside that envelope could be a command to do god knows what. Jane'll kick my butt if anything happens to you again under my watch.'

Lisbon's lips curled into a smile. 'Would pay to see that.'

Abbott smiled in return. 'I'm betting we could sell tickets.'

'No point, Jane would only scalp them to make some money out of it.'

Both grinned at each other and nodded. Perhaps they could work together after all, Lisbon surmised.

After a moment she said, 'I want to go through the Visualize files again. It's the only solid lead we've got at the moment.'

Wylie, his fingers still dancing over the keys, shouted to her, 'All the background checks should be done by now. Michelle, I mean, Vega left her laptop with me. You can log on to check them out.'

Abbott nodded. 'Sounds like a plan, then.'

Lisbon retrieved the laptop and got to work.

Jane looked at his bare wrist. His watch and phone had been removed and there were no windows in the room. Impressive interrogation technique so a prisoner had no idea what time it was or whether it was day or night, meant to disorient them further. Jane had no idea where he was or how long the journey was to get here but he had been keeping track of the time in his head since he'd woke up. Two hours so far. Assuming Lisbon wasn't in this location then she and Abbott would be together now working on finding him. His lips turned upwards of their own accord. Nothing like throwing them in at the deep end together. He was glad that Wylie and Vega would also be helping. If anyone could pin down his location it was Wylie. His thoughts turned to Cho. Hopefully in surgery or a flesh wound but Abbott's tone as he called for medics left him to believe his condition sounded serious enough. He closed his eyes briefly. Cho was almost as much a stabling influence in his life as Lisbon. Not one to show his emotions but a dry sense of humour and a masked sense of playfulness hidden underneath his detached facade. Lisbon would be devastated if he didn't make it. So would he, come to that. Even if he was technically her boss at the FBI she had mentored him for years at the CBI and she would always see him as somehow still her responsibility.

The door opened and Jane looked up from his seat on the floor, blinking his eyes as the light from outside streamed in. He didn't take any notice of the figures moving towards them, he looked behind them instead to see what was outside the door. It looked like a narrow corridor and could see the bottom of a wooden staircase. Two sets of hands gripped him and pulled him up, pushing him back into the seat. He studied their faces and recognised two of the people from the Visualize files Masters had given to him.

'Easy, John, George' he smiled, their eyes flicking to each other nervously as their first names were spoken. But neither spoke and John, the larger of the two and the one he ascertained from his smell of cheap cologne had been the one responsible for the tasering, tied Jane's legs to the chair legs to stop him getting up again.

'I could really do with a bathroom break, John' Jane said.

John chuckled gruffly. 'Guess you'll have to hold it unless you want to make a mess in your suit.'

Jane rolled his eyes. Charming. So, evidently not the criminal mastermind of the outfit. He had thought as much from the file he'd read on him. Been indoctrinated into Visualize after serving some time in a young offender's home as a teen and worked in 'security' there. You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know what that entailed. He briefly looked at George. His was much the same story. Both were too far in and far too stupid to listen to him. If he continued he was more likely to get a punch in the gut from them. He may well be getting that later in any case so he decided to stay quiet.

After they left the room his mind went to the other Visualize files. Taking out those already dead along with John and George he was left with five names. One woman, Tori Reynolds. Lisbon had recognised her from somewhere so she must be significant. He filed that information away and concentrated on the other four. Two he further discounted as mere minions. Two left. William Dawson and Terence Finlay. Both were high up in Stiles' organisation although Jane had never met either of them on his visits there. Both well educated. He hoped that Lisbon and Abbott were dwindling the numbers down too, Wylie's background checks helping them decide on who was the more likely candidate. He closed his eyes and pictured their photographs in his head until he smiled softly before opening them again. He stared at the camera ahead of him.

'So, William, don't you think it was time we met?' he smiled.

A short while later a slim man in his early fifties with short greying hair and standing about six foot tall wearing glasses and a dark brown suit opened the door. Jane looked him up and down. He appeared out of place in this dark cellar and Jane imagined him more comfortable in a large leather armchair or a library then here. Of course he wasn't the only one. John and George followed him inside and placed a chair opposite Jane that the man sat in before they retreated and stood with their backs to the door.

'So, Patrick. We meet again at last' he smiled, his eyes dancing with amusement. 'How'd you know it was me?'

Jane smiled back and ignored his question. 'Still trying to feed me that line? Come on, William. We both know you're not Red John. To be honest I don't know why you'd want to be. You're much more...inventive than he ever was.'

'Trying flattery, Patrick?' he replied softly.

Jane shook his head. 'Nope. Just the truth. I have to say you played me like a fish. Had me so paranoid about Lisbon I didn't think you'd come after me. I played right into your hands.'

Dawson shrugged, sitting back on his chair and crossing his legs. 'Not exactly difficult to get you paranoid about that particular scenario. However, you did spoil my fun when you got her back so quickly. I was hoping to indoctrinate her into motherhood for another month or so at least.'

Jane fought the hatred inside him and smiled. 'Sorry about that, maybe next time you decide to hypnotise someone you should find yourself a better hypnotist.' He paused and cast an icy glare at his captor. 'If you were Red John you would have done it yourself.'

After a moment Dawson laughed. 'Okay, you got me. I'm not him. He was a sexually perverted sociopath-'

'And the difference is?' Jane smiled.

The smile dropped from Dawson's lips. 'The difference is...like you said...invention. Imagination. You should understand, Patrick. You love making plans, seeing them through, see your mark get what's coming to him. It thrills you that you can act as puppet master and have the FBI dance to your tune.'

'What thrills me is seeing sick sons of bitches like you get what's coming to them.'

Dawson smiled again. 'No need to lie to me, Patrick. You could catch people in any number of ways. What you like is being in control, make people rely on you, feel special just by being around you. Draw them in like moths to a flame. Give them next to nothing for years so when you finally decide to give them scraps they're grateful for just that. Like poor Agent Lisbon-'

'So, is that what this is? Jealousy that you can't get people to do your bidding? From what I can see you've certainly got the same talent as I do. Although I suppose your control over others is because of your bank balance and not your charming repartee.'

Dawson's eyes darkened. 'What this is is justice. You believe in that, don't you? Going out and making people pay for their crimes. You certainly did that with McAllister and it got you a cushy job with the FBI and a beautiful girlfriend to boot.' He chuckled softly. 'You can hardly tell me that crime doesn't pay.'

'Let's leave aside that I don't consider what happened with McAllister a crime. Let's say, for your sake, that it was. So now you've decided to make me pay for mine. But of course killing me would be too easy, right? Better to make the people close to me suffer first.'

'You know very well to hurt a man you don't kill him, you-'

'Kill his family. Yeah, like you said, I know. Okay then, so this is justice. Why exactly? Is it because of Stiles?'

Dawson looked away for a second and made a clicking sound with his tongue before staring back at him. 'Oh, Patrick, it's about much more than that' he grinned.

Dawson pushed his chair back and got up. 'Nice talking to you at last, Patrick. We'll meet again soon.' As John and George parted to allow him to exit he turned around once more. 'Shame about Cho. He was a good friend, wasn't he?' he laughed as he left the room.

'Nice try' Jane shouted. 'We both know he's not dead or you would have started with that.'

'Do we?' Dawson replied, evidently still enjoying this psychological torture as George closed the door after him leaving Jane alone once again.

Jane closed his eyes and breathed deeply. For one of the few times in his life he didn't feel like the smartest one in the room.