Dusk was falling as the SWAT team and the BAU agents parked their vehicles and began silently moving through the trees towards the barn.

"The information we received was correct," Morgan observed as he watched trucks driving down the rutted dirt road and into the make-shift parking lot. "There is definitely something going on in there."

"We need to take our time and make sure everyone has arrived and is comfortable," Hotch reminded him. "We want to capture as many of these guys as possible with minimal casualties."

"My men are spread out surrounding the building," Commander Sinclaire confirmed. "If anyone tries to leave the area, they will be stopped and arrested. Now, who from your team is going to accompany me and my team through the front door, and who is going in with the other team through the side door?"

"Myself, Morgan, and - " Hotch looked around. "JJ," he decided, "Will go in through the front door. Rossi, you and Blake will go in through the side door with the other team. Again, no one gets out of the building. We arrest everyone first and let the state police sort them out later back at the station."

"No problem," Rossi checked his Kevlar vest. "Although I am warning you – If I see Reid in there, getting him out in one piece is going to be my first priority."

"Understood!" Hotch nodded. He checked his watch. "It shouldn't be long now."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The inside walls of the barn were unpainted, weather-beaten wood. In the center of the room, there was a set of well-worn wooden bleachers facing a stage which took up most of the far wall. Tonight, to the right of the stage there were three chairs with people securely tied to them. Guarding the chairs, were four oversized men with their side arms prominently displayed. Three of them were actively eyeing the two women, while the fourth was casting longing glances at the man.

The bleachers were full of men, some still wearing parts of their sheriff's department uniforms, all talking and laughing while they drank beer and passed around bags of snack foods. The noise in the room was getting progressively louder until –

"Okay – Okay – Quiet down now everyone – Quiet down," a portly man with grey hair, wearing his sheriff's star prominently pinned to the front of his shirt, walked onto the stage and began calling for everyone's attention.

"As you know," he continued after the room had quieted. "We have a special treat for everyone this evening." He turned to look at the prisoners.

"We have here three outsiders – two uppity women who think they are better than us, plus a kid who thinks he's man enough to defend them. I think they need to be taught a lesson. What do you think?"

The ensuring uproar shook the building.

"Okay," the sheriff held up his hands for silence. "Now around here we do believe in giving everyone a fair chance to defend themselves, so let's bring the kid up here and see what he can do."

The ropes securing Michael to the chair were quickly cut, as was the tape covering his mouth. He was then roughly pushed up onto the stage, where he staggered, trying to catch his breath and his balance.

"Well, kid," the sheriff sneered at him. "Since you think you are man enough to defend your Aunt Caryn and your Cousin Julie, let's see what you can do."

"Who wants to teach him a lesson?" he asked the crowd.

"I do," Deputy Wells stood up and strode onto the stage. "He disrespected me and I demand the right to teach him a lesson!"

"Go to it!" the sheriff told him as he stepped off to the side. "Show him what it takes to be a man!"

Michael saw the first swing coming and quickly stepped backwards so that all he felt was a breeze on his face. Swearing, the deputy quickly took a step forward and swung again. This time Michael ducked.

"STOP!" A voice rang out through the building. "Right Now! That man is a Federal Agent working for the FBI and everyone in this building is under arrest for kidnapping and imprisonment!"

"Federal Agent? FBI?" The question was repeated endlessly by the audience who looked around to see who was speaking. As soon as they realized that there was a SWAT team blocking the front door, many of them began bolting towards the side door, where they found a second SWAT team blocking their way out.

"What the – " The sheriff began pulling out his weapon.

"This is the FBI telling you to put the guns down!" was the next command. "Everybody – Guns down and nobody gets hurt!"

"FBI?" Michael repeated, dazed, as he looked around. Then, as he turned deathly pale a shot rang out and he fell to the floor.