Tara, Rossi, Spencer, and Luke had just set up a command center in a side room at Will's precinct and updating her on their version of events when Tara's phone began making noise.

"Doctor Lewis," Keller said suddenly. "Your phone is ringing."

"Oh. Thanks."

Tara had been so absorbed in what was at hand that she had almost missed it, but she still fished it out of her pocket and checked the screen. She even put it on speaker.

"Hey, Garcia, you're on speaker!" Tara said into the receiver. "What do you have?"

"Who all is there?"

"Myself, Rossi, Spencer, Luke, and Captain Keller."

"Copy that—I found a list of people whom Caroline has apparently been keeping in contact with, via the dark web. There are four men, and every last jerk on this list is beyond skeevy, but there's one guy who stands out more than the others."

"How so?"

On the other end of the line, Penelope shuddered as she dug deeper into the information that was on the screen in front of her. "Caroline and this man have been conversing regularly through a combination of chat rooms and email for the last six months."

"Lovers?" Rossi suggested.

"No, sir." Penelope answered. "More like good friends—from the looks of things here, they're exchanging tips about the best intentional cities with non-extradition rules in place. One of them is looking to get out of the country."

"My money is on Caroline. Is there any one location that's mentioned a particular number of times?"

Penelope conducted a quick search with her software and reported the answer just as fast when she saw it. "With a grand total of twelve times, the answer to that inquiry is Vatican City."

"Italy… hm…"

"Sir?" Penelope prompted after a moment of awkward silence.

"Hey." Luke patted Rossi's shoulder. "What is it?"

Rossi looked around to see Luke, Tara, Spencer, and Captain Keller watching him. The silence from the phone in Tara's hand told him that Penelope was also awaiting on him to finish his thoughts.

"Vatican City is in Rome," Rossi said to his audience. "Which isn't on the list of our nation's enemies, meaning that it's a realistic and easy place to flee to in a situation like this. Plus, a person with Caroline's level of intelligence would have no trouble picking up the Italian language—it'd be a breeze."

He looked in the direction of Tara's phone.

"What is the name of Caroline's online friend?"

"He is one Skip MacBride, and he lives in Seven Corners. His birthday was last Wednesday, and he turned thirty-two."

"Is there any other family listed? A wife and kids, maybe?"

Penelope shook her head as she looked at her monitors. "No, not that I can see."

The wheels were turning fast in Rossi's head, and it took him a lot of effort to slow down. "What if Caroline is using Skip, and the money she intends to gain from this deal is the last bit of money she needs to get to Vatican City?"

They shivered at Rossi's theory, but realized that it made a lot of sense. Captain Keller agreed, too, but she felt compelled to bring something else up, as well.

"Excuse me," she said. "But what about Bellamy? She has completely blindsided me in her betrayal, and if memory serves, didn't Caroline still murder the last person she promised money to?"

"That is true, m'am, yes."

"Then who's to say that Caroline won't repeat the cycle? She actually sounds like a psychopath, doesn't she? I'm just trying to think what Bellamy could be getting out of this besides a thrill."

Tara thought a moment. "Does Bellamy have anything going on at home? With a boyfriend, or a husband, maybe?"

"There's no relationships of any kind that I know of—and I know my squad—but the last time I checked, she's been sending her parents part of her paycheck every month for over a year."

"Why's that?"

"Missus Rutherford had aggressive form of ovarian cancer, and she's in remission, but she and her husband just about stretched themselves thin with paying off the bills before Bellamy started helping out."

Tara arched an eyebrow, processing this information. "That's both a stressor, and motivation to help Caroline. What if Caroline promised Bellamy a lot of money as a reward, as in more than she makes in a month on the salary of a detective?"

Keller quickly realized that this was what had to have happened, but all the same, she voiced a new thought as it popped into her head.

"Miss Garcia," she called to the phone. "This is Captain Keller. Are you still there?"

"Yes, captain! Do you have a question?"

"You said that Caroline met Skip MacBride over the dark web?"

"Yes, m'am, and I don't see anything on her, but he has been advertising sales of illegal firearms, assorted illegal substances. It's a safe bet that he has these things in or near his house because these kinds of people usually do."

"Good to know. Can you send over his information, and any kind of schematic on his house?"

"I can send over the information in a jiffy, but it's going to take a little bit longer to fulfill the rest of your request, captain."

"That's quite alright. I appreciate what you do."

"Thank you. That's very nice of you to say."

Tara chimed in, "And Penelope, I know you always produce answers in a timely manner, but speed is everything today!"

"Understood, chief! Over and out!"

Both parties hung up, and pocketing her phone, Tara looked to the captain once more. "Are you thinking of conducting a raid?"

Keller nodded. "Yes, because it's a start, and it sounds like it was a matter of time before MacBride was caught, anyhow."

"It always is, with people in business this dirty."

"Garcia said Skip will keep his merchandise close, but have you all profiled Caroline to do the same with her own steals?"

"Actually, Doctor Reid had something to say on that exact matter, back at our office."

Everyone looked over to Spencer, and to his credit, he didn't waver at the sudden shift in attention.

"For starters, Caroline Logan LaMontagne is a member of Mensa. She also sounds arrogant."

Keller sighed. "Oh, boy. Is her intelligence her Achilles heel?"

"It very well could be, captain, and to that end, I am very certain that she'll have Will, JJ, and Emily nearby to where she is. I profiled that Caroline's own arrogance is what will most likely lead to her becoming undone."

"I s—"

DING!

"Captain?"

While the agents' tablets lit up with information on Skip MacBride from Penelope, one of Keller's people joined them for a second. She had a large stack of papers in her hands.

"What's up?" Keller asked her. "Bring all that over, please."

The detective laid the papers out on the table that the others were camped out at. "These just came over from the tech analyst in Quantico. I found them in the fax machine."

"Thank you. Any updates on the BOLOs yet, Maya?"

"No, m'am."

"Understood. Please go back, and keep your eyes and ears open."

The detective named Maya nodded and gave a, "Yes, m'am," as she showed herself out.

"These are the blueprints to Skip MacBride's house." remarked Spencer as he looked at the papers on the table, rifling through them. "This obviously isn't blueprint paper, but it's all here."

"Good." approved Tara. "Penelope sent over the information on MacBride's address and occupation. We'll get into that in a minute, but right now, let's get an idea of the layout of MacBride's place, just in case we have to go in."

The others thought this to be a good idea, and set to work.

Skip MacBride was, to his neighbors, the most well-liked resident on Mayberry Street in Seven Corners, Virginia. He lived in a large, beautiful house, and to keep himself busy when the maids and the gardeners weren't around, he could often be seen working on various home-improvement projects. He'd always been good at those kinds of things, and even helped his neighbors when they needed it.

Life with a wife and kids didn't interest him, so he didn't even mind that in spite of his popularity, average looks, and a dated name that he was a bachelor. His dream was to retire early on an estate in Hollywood Hills, California, and his job as an at-home online stock trader was helping to get him there. He made extra money by selling illegal firearms and substances through the dark web and black market. Nobody around him suspected a thing.

Skip was very much a wolf in sheep's clothing, but presented as a social butterfly to throw people off the scene. For good measure, he made sure that his house was the site of as many neighborhood get-togethers as he could manage. This last part was why he was the most-liked neighbor.

Today was extra special because an online friend named Caroline had reached out to him with an offer he'd never considered before: the sale of two newborn babies within the next twenty-four hours. After having a brainwave about creating an adoption scheme, he agreed to the pitch. Skip was more than ready to collect his merchandise, but he hadn't been given the word yet, so he was anxiously waiting at home.

By the time Tara and the rest of the BAU team, and Will's detective squad had arrived on Mayberry Street, it was to find that the local law enforcement officers were already there, securing the scene, and holding back the neighbors, who had stepped out of their houses to see what all of the commotion was about. It was only a matter of time before anyone from a news agency turned up. And in pride of place, inside the perimeter of bright yellow caution tape, there was a gigantic mobile command center. It bore the SWAT team insignia across the side.

Great, thought Tara. They can either help make things go faster, or make things worse.

No sooner had she and Captain Keller finished splitting up the division of labor between their people, than a man in tactical gear emerged from the command center. He approached them quickly.

"Which one of you is Doctor Lewis, please?" he asked.

Tara stepped forward and extended a hand. "I am, sir—Doctor Tara Lewis, from the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI, and this is Captain Daphne Keller, from the metropolitan DC police department. What's your name?"

He shook hands both women and then indicated himself. "I'm Head Officer Jack Wallace from the local SWAT team, and my team is around, but on full standby."

"Perfect." said Tara.

"Your director briefed me on the situation, Doctor Lewis, but I want to see if I have all of the details in the right order. Special Agents Emily Prentiss and Jennifer Jareau are your team leader, and the second-in-command?"

"Yes."

"And as I understand things, they're both nine months pregnant, but the one who has them is Special Agent Jareau's mother-in-law?"

"Also correct, sir, and in my colleagues' absences, I'm running point on this case. That being said, we also have two more people gone, but they aren't FBI."

"That's right." Wallace turned to Tara's company. "Detectives LaMontagne and Rutherford are two of yours, captain?"

She nodded. "Yes. They're partners, too, and they've always been loyal to each other. Nothing has ever happened between them that would lead to something as bad as this."

"I'm sure. And tying all of this together is that Detective LaMontagne is married to Special Agent Jareau, and Special Agent Prentiss is their sister-in-law, but your 'unsub,' as the director called her, is the detective's mother?"

"Estranged is more word to describe it, but yes."

"Wow." Head Officer Wallace addressed Tara again, this time sounding as though he was choosing his words carefully. "Since there are no hostages in Skip MacBride's house that we know of, I'll follow your commands, doctor, but the second you feel a raid is necessary, I'm calling the shots. Do you understand?"

"I do, sir."

"Very good. Now—do you have a plan yet, or should we step inside?" he indicated the mobile command center.

Tara shook her head. "I have a plan, but I need help from you and Captain Keller."

"Name it." they said in unison.

"I need a megaphone, and for you two and your people to be my back-up. Everyone else will fall into place."

"Alright." said Wallace as Keller quickly requisitioned a megaphone and handed it to Tara. "My sniper is in position, too. Do you think you'll need him?"

"I hope I won't, but have him stay where they are; I don't want them firing until I give the say-so. Keeping Skip MacBride is the primary objective because we just want to talk. The problem will be if or when he fires at us."

"And what do you think the chances of that happening are, doctor?"

"Quite high, unfortunately."

Thanks to one of the SWAT people using a thermal imaging camera, they deduced that Skip was in the far corner of the second floor bedroom, which was facing them. Tara turned in this direction, and on either side of her, Keller and Wallace knelt, their weapons drawn and trained on the bedroom window. The BAU team fell into place next. After them, the members of DCPD and SWAT followed suit, until every armed person in the vicinity had their firepower trained on the house, too. It was happening just as Tara had predicted.

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before turning the megaphone on speaking through it. "SKIP MACBRIDE, THIS IS THE FBI! COME OUT NOW, WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

Inside the house, Skip was in a panic. His number was up. There was no way that this wouldn't end with him going to jail. Caroline had been straightforward, with telling him when and where to meet her, but she'd also warned him that she wouldn't hesitate to sell him out if he attracted the attention of any type of law officer. The feeling was mutual on Skip's part.

But now…

Now, there was no way out. He didn't dare look outside, but he imagined that a lot of guns were trained in his direction.

Skip had already known that he would have rather died than go to jail, even if it now meant withholding Caroline's location from the police. He only had one choice.

Down on the street, everyone else was waiting for a response.

They got one—in the form of a single gunshot ringing out.