"Where is this guard we are waiting for?" Prentiss asked Alex as she kept a look-out from behind the bushes.
"He should be approaching soon." Alex reassured them.
A few moments later, a guard walked by carrying a rifle in his hands, heading toward the door. Alex looked around the brush and leaves and picked up a broken tree branch and clutched it in her hand. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
"Wait, what do you think you are doing?" Rossi held onto her arm.
"I am going to get us access to the door." Alex crouched down.
"Okay, but I am going with you." Prentiss moved closer to Alex.
"You wanted my help because I knew this place. I know how to gain access, now you need to let me do my job." Alex stared at Rossi until he reluctantly nodded. She then turned to Prentiss. "If I step out of line, you have my permission to shoot me, okay?" She snarked.
Alex looked around to make sure no one else was coming then she snuck toward the guard. She creeped up from behind, placed her hand over his mouth and shoved the branch into his back simulating the muzzle of a gun. She then whispered in his ear. "Hey, it's Alex. I don't have time to explain. I'm here with the Feds to infiltrate. I need you to hand over your rifle to me."
The guard handed his weapon over and put his hands up. She then leaned back to his ear. "I am going to hit you, stay down and pretend to be unconscious." Alex did just what she said by smacking him across the face with the butt of the gun and he fell to the ground. She crouched down next to him, pretending to check for his pulse. She took the access card from his belt. "After I'm inside, make your way to the control room." She caressed his face. "It's good to see you, Sam." She then stood up and waved over Prentiss and Rossi.
Prentiss moved the guard's face and felt for his pulse then looked to Rossi. She then took the rifle from Alex as she handed it over.
Alex went to the control panel, swiped the card and entered a code. The lights changed to green. "There, all of the doors should be unlocked now. I put in a master reset code. We don't have much time."
Rossi called in the information to Hotch and Morgan.
Morgan and JJ stayed hidden as a guard walked past their entrance. "Rossi said the door should be unlocked now." Morgan announced.
"Why do you sound so skeptical?" JJ asked.
"Because this is coming from her. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea that we are just supposed to trust her and be okay with it." Morgan confessed.
"I agree, but she has been pretty helpful so far." JJ tried to think positively.
"Yeah, or maybe she has something up her sleeve, and is just waiting for the moment to strike." Morgan grumbled.
Prentiss entered the estate first, took a quick look around then signaled to Rossi that the coast was clear.
They started down the hallway with Prentiss taking point. Alex then grabbed her shoulder. "Watch out." Alex stopped Prentiss from walking into a wall.
Rossi and Prentiss both looked at the optical illusion in front of them. The wall looked as if there was a hallway there. Alex took a step into what appeared to be a wall, but it was another illusion. Rossi and Prentiss followed.
"This place was built in the late 1800's. When Knight bough it, he had it changed to a maze inside with fake hallways, optical illusions, secret passages, the works." Alex explained.
"Why didn't you give us the details about this before?" Rossi asked.
"Because I am sure he has changed things since I've been here last. He is that paranoid. So, make sure you watch your back." Alex stared at Rossi.
"Come on, let's keep moving." Prentiss urged.
Reid opened their door, then he and Hotch both entered. With their weapons drawn, they walked down the corridor. There was a single door at the end of the long hallway. Reid tried the handle, and slowly opened the door. After seeing that there was no guard in sight, he took a step through the doorway. "That's weird."
Hotch looked and saw that they were standing in an identical hallway with another lone door at the end. Hotch took the lead and went to open the door. They both stood looking at a repeat of the same hallway. "What the hell is going on here?"
Hotch stood in the doorway as Reid went to the next door and opened. He then turned back to Hotch. "Did Lewis Carroll design this place?"
"I say we press on." Hotch took the lead as the agents continued to move through the never-ending hallway.
Prentiss came to the end of a hallway that split to two staircases, one going up, the other down. "What are our options?" She asked Alex.
"Knight could be upstairs. That's where his suite is. However, the command center is downstairs; it is possible for him to be there, too."
Rossi considered both options then back to Prentiss. "You head down and I'll go up with Alex. We will then report back in a few minutes."
Prentiss was hesitant to separate but agreed. Alex stayed behind Rossi as he led the way. The whole time she was remembering the hallway they were in. She had been there before. She stopped in front of a credenza and stared into the mirror that was hung on the wall.
Rossi turned back to her and softly called out. "What are you doing?"
"Sorry, I'm not used to looking into mirrors that often anymore." She waited for Rossi to continue moving, then she reached under the table and grabbed the pistol that was hidden there and stuffed it in her waistband and pulled down her shirt over it.
Rossi went to the end of the corridor to see closed, large French doors in front of them. Alex reached to her back and put her hand on the butt of her weapon but then released when Rossi turned around.
"Where do these doors lead to?" He asked.
"Toward Knight's suite." She then turned and felt along the walls.
"What are you doing?" Rossi was dumbfounded.
"Looking for the opening. I remember a hidden door, but I don't remember where."
Rossi looked at the opposite wall. "I feel like we are in an Agatha Christie novel." He remarked as he was feeling the wall for an opening.
Alex pulled out her weapon. "Don't move!" She demanded.
Rossi turned to look down the barrel of Alex's pistol pointed toward him.
She looked him directly in the eyes. "Don't move." She repeated. Then with a cold, determined look, she fired.