After following Lieutenant Thomas' car down several dirt roads, the BAU team soon arrived at Grainger's General Store.
"Where the heck are we?" Morgan demanded as he stood outside the SUV looking around at the small parking lot rimmed by trees.
"The nerve center of this area," Lieutenant Thomas told him. "Any information you need about anyone or anything around here, this is where you come."
"Who's going in?" Hotch asked. "We don't want to overwhelm whoever it is we are going to be talking with."
"We'll be talking with Phil Grainger, the owner," the lieutenant explained. "And, this time of the day, probably his wife, too. I would suggest that I go in along with, maybe, two of your people. He knows me and is much more likely to give me the information we need if I don't show up with a crowd."
"Okay," Hotch agreed. "JJ, why don't you come with me and the lieutenant? The rest of you can wait out here."
"Hotch!" Morgan immediately protested.
"Why don't you and I survey the area?" Rossi immediately suggested. "If Reid and the Harris women are being held somewhere around here, we need to start planning our strategy. Blake, if you would care to join us?" He and Blake began walking down the road and, after a brief hesitation while he watched Hotch, JJ, and the lieutenant go into the store, Morgan followed.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Hey, Phil, we need to talk," Lieutenant Thomas greeted the store owner, who was standing behind the counter.
"Someplace private," he added, nodding towards the back room.
"Go on back," Mrs. Grainger told her husband as she materialized from the rear of the store. "I can keep an eye on things out here."
"Okay," Mr. Grainger led the way to the back room.
"These guys are from the FBI," the lieutenant began once the door had been closed. "And they are investigating the apparent disappearance of Caryn and Julie Harris as well as Michael."
"They've disappeared?" the store owner gasped. "When? What happened?"
"We believe they were grabbed this afternoon by a group of rogue sheriff's deputies," Hotch told him. "And we are hoping that you may be able to help us find them."
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Mr. Grainger twisted his hands anxiously as he worked hard to avoid meeting Hotch's eyes.
"Maybe you don't know anything definite," JJ spoke up. "But, perhaps you have heard some rumors over the years?"
"Nope - Can't help you with that!" the man spoke up defiantly.
"DAD!" the boy's voice came from a far corner of the room. "You do know – And, if you don't tell them, I will! They have been stealing from us long enough!"
"I'm Steve," the boy introduced himself as he walked out to where the agents could see him. "And, I only had half a day of school today so it's not like I'm cutting classes or anything like that."
"Son, you don't want to do this," his father warned.
"Yes I do!" he insisted. "And you should too. She bailed you out. Without her, you would have lost the store. And this is the way you repay her? Ms. Harris deserves better."
"You know?" his father asked stunned.
"I have known all along," was the reply. "And Mom knows too. Now, do you want to tell them or should I?" He looked at his father defiantly.
"Well?" Hotch looked from father to son expectantly.
"My son's right," Mr. Grainger admitted with a sigh. "Ms. Harris did help me out, and I do owe it to her."
"You know the old boy scout camp?" The question was directed to the lieutenant, who nodded in agreement.
"Well, there is a barn at the far end of the property," he explained. "From the outside it looks pretty decrepit, but I suspect that the inside is in good repair. They gather there in the evenings, starting around dusk. You can see the trucks going back there. I always know when something is going on because they stop in here for beer and snacks as well as other – supplies. Exactly what is going on, I don't know. But I strongly suspect that is where they have taken Ms. Harris, as well as Julie and Michael."
"Has anyone stopped by today?" Lieutenant Thomas asked.
"Not yet," was the reply. "Do you want me to call you if they do?"
"If you could," was the request as the lieutenant handed over one of his business cards.
"My cell phone number is on the back," he explained. "Maybe you could get your wife to call from the house? We don't want to risk tipping them off."
"Thanks," Hotch offered his hand to shake, first to the father and then to the son. "You did the right thing. And, after we get this cleared up, you'll be able to run your business without having to pay extortion."
"Commander Sinclaire – It's time to call out the SWAT team!" Hotch spoke into his cell phone as they left the store. "We know where they are!"
