Reid reached over and grabbed Alex's hand. "What are you talking about?"
"There is so much more going on here than you know about." She let out a deep sigh. "There is something… you need to know…"
"Everyone out!" Hotch yelled.
Reid stood up. "What's going on?"
"There's a bomb! Out, now!" Hotch ordered.
The team escaped the building, ran out a few yards all jumping face down and covering their heads. The building exploded behind them.
Alex stood up and could feel the raging heat on her face. "Sam!" She called out. She tried to rush back towards the burning building.
Reid grabbed her arm and pulled her down. He threw himself on top of her just as a secondary blast went off.
"Are you okay?" He asked, sweeping some of the debris from her face.
She looked into his caring eyes. "Yes." She whispered. She then looked back to the blaze. "What about Sam?"
"I'm sorry, I don't think he got out." He looked back to her. "Why didn't you tell me that Sam was still working this case?"
"I didn't know until I saw him." She stared as the fire engulfed the mansion.
Hotch helped the two of them up. Alex doubled over coughing. "We need to get you to a medic." Hotch held onto her. "Agent Rossi is going to take you to get medical attention."
"I want to go with her." Reid spoke up.
"No, I need you here for when we debrief the CIA."
Reid watched as Rossi walked away with Alex toward the base camp as the fire enraged behind him.
At the BAU, Hotch entered Erin Strauss' office to see her standing behind her desk, flipping through paperwork. She looked up to him and removed her glasses. "Would you please explain to me how an escaped convict who has been going on a killing spree was killed as you were sent to apprehend him, and to top it off you don't know who did it?"
"We are still investigating, ma'am." Hotch started. "As I wrote in my report, Knight's estate was filled with secret passages, trap doors, et cetera. It was extremely difficult to navigate our way through."
"And yet you managed to find Knight moments after he was killed."
"Yes, ma'am." Hotch stood, statuesque in front of her.
"You also don't have his body becuase it was burnt to a cynder. So, we aren't able to conduct and autopsy."
"Agent Morgan discovered a bomb taped under the chair Knight was sitting in. We were barely able to make it out before the building exploded."
"And as of right now you still aren't even sure whether Alex Marcus had anything to do with his death." She folded her arms across her chest.
"No, not at this time. She is staying in our custody as we investigate." Hotch assured.
"Deputy Director Parker will be here shortly to escort Marcus back to her prison cell."
"I think that is a mistake."
"Oh?"
"I believe we are still able to get the information from her."
"Because she's been so forthcoming thus far?" Strauss sneared.
"If she wasn't involved, she still might be able to lead us in the right direction."
Strauss put on her glasses and looked at a report. "I see here that no one else survived the explosion, including an undercover agent, Sam Walker."
"That is correct."
"Another reason why the CIA should be investigating this mess."
Hotch took a step forward. "The CIA never disclosed that they had an agent undercover in Knight's estate. I know that there is more that they have been keeping from us. I would like to be able to get to the bottom of this and I know that Alex Marcus is a piece in this puzzle."
"This situation is already out of hand. My intention is to give this back to Director Parker. You have a stack of cases that needs the BAU's attention."
"I respectfully ask that you give my team a little more time on this case."
Strauss glared back at him. "Forty-eight hours, Agent Hotchner, and then this is back in the hands of the CIA."
"Understood, thank you." Hotch left her office.
Rossi looked Hotch up and down as he walked toward him coming down the hall. "It looks like Strauss didn't take any prisoners. So, where do we stand?"
"I convinced her to give us some more time. We have forty-eight hours then she hands this back to the CIA." Hotch appeared frustrated.
"Does that mean that Parker came all this way for nothing?" Rossi asked.
"He's here?" Hotch was surprised.
"Yes, in the visitor's room with Alex." Rossi pointed to the door behind him.
Hotch opened the door to see Parker standing in front of him about to leave. "Is there something I can help you with?" Hotch stared.
"Thank you, agent, I got what I needed." Parker walked past Hotch. "I am off to see your director now."
Rossi took a step closer to Hotch. "What's on your mind?" He asked with concern.
"The CIA has something up their sleeve. They wanted us on this case, and not to give a profile on Alex." Hotch shook his head.
"Do you think it has something to do with Reid?"
"That's what I'm afraid of. All I know is that Alex is in the middle of this and I still don't know what side she is on."
Hotch walked into the room where she was sitting alone at the table. "What did Director Parker want?"
"He was asking why Sam wasn't able to get out alive." Alex was still upset about him not making it.
"Why didn't you inform us that there was and agent inside?" Rossi questioned.
"I didn't know until I saw him. I wasn't even sure if he could be trusted or not. Like I told you before, Knight had a lot of guys on his payroll. Including G-Men." She glanced to Hotch.
"Let's Go." Hotch helped her up.
"Back to my cell?" She asked feeling that this was the end for her.
"Sorry to inform you that you are still in the custody of the FBI for a little while longer." Hotch announced.
Alex let out a sigh of relief.