Author's Note: Alright guys and gals, there's a bit longer wait between chapters than I used to have, but I'm still going. Hope you stick with it and enjoy!

Garcia pulled her eyes away from the spiraling colors of the weather tracker screen and removed her glasses to rub her hands over her face. She had been watching the beast of a storm work its way toward them for two hours before the high winds and icy snow began pelting against the sides of their building. Hotch had become a permanent fixture next to the window, staring off at the falling darkness. She could tell he was troubled by whatever thoughts were going on in his head, but he hadn't said a word. Morgan and Prentiss still hadn't returned and it chilled her to think of them outside in the howling wind, and blowing snow. The thought of Reid, Rossi and JJ up on the mountain, possibly injured and in the same storm made her nauseous with worry.

"What are you thinking Hotch?" Garcia's voice was barely above a whisper, but sounded harsh in the silence of the room.

Hotch flinched from his deep thoughts and turned away from the fogged window to face her. He simply stared at her for a moment before answering her with a shrug.

"I keep running our options through my head. If they can't find someone to help us make it up there, we may just have to wait out this storm," he spoke toward the floor.

"What about you guys?" she replaced her glasses to watch him, "Aren't you, Derek and Emily going to at try?"

Hotch let out a deep sigh, "We don't have the training for something like this Garcia. If Morgan and Prentiss can't find some kind of guide…" he trailed off into silence. He didn't have to tell her what would happen in that scenario. He just couldn't risk the lives of the rest of the team. Simple as that.

Garcia sat silently for a few minutes, reeling in her own thoughts before speaking.

"I wish we still had Cassi"

Hotch stiffened and looked up at her with a deep frown.

"You were thinking the same thing," she continued, "weren't you?"

Hotch glared at her for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to the window, confirming her suspicions. Cassi Maddox was a renowned expert in search & rescue. She had tracked down dozens of people in every kind of environment. Only a year prior, they had seen her work first hand as she helped them search for a killer who'd stalked the team through DC and had tormented Prentiss nearly to the point of a nervous breakdown. The woman was brilliant and skilled, which later proved to be a dangerous combination. During the time she'd worked with them, she'd spent a week gaining their trust before flipping their world upside down and revealing an evil below. Cassi Maddox was a stone cold killer.

They had witnessed her execute a handful of men without a moment's hesitation, but something about that day still didn't sit right with Hotch. They had never been so wrong in a profile, and it bothered him that even a year later, with all they'd learned about her identity, they still had no idea who she was. Her personality had to come from somewhere, and he'd spent many sleepless nights wondering whether it had all been an elaborate act, or if part of what had made them trust her had been real. The reasons behind her actions spoke volumes in her profile, making him believe there was a compassionate person somewhere behind the monster she'd been molded into. When he thought back to their time in the warehouse, he even thought he'd glimpsed a moment of remorse for her actions in stopping the men who'd been only seconds away from killing them all, including her son Devin. Regardless of what any of them did or didn't think of her, Cassi was a killer. She was also a fugitive currently on the FBI's Most Wanted list. But more than anything, she was exactly what they needed to save their friends.

"It briefly crossed my mind," he lied. He hadn't been able to push her name from his mind since the moment they'd been told him there would be no rescue.

Before Garcia could respond, a loud crackle of static broke through an old radio stacked against the far wall. Both of them spun around to face the direction of the noise, listening as it crackled again. Hotch stepped closer to the dusty machine and twisted at the knob in an attempt to clear up what it was trying to convey. A male voice broke through before being drown out by white noise, but it was all Hotch needed to hear. One word spoken by a voice he knew well.

"That's Rossi!" Garcia jumped up from her seat, confirming that Hotch hadn't imagined it.

Hotch quickly dug around the dusty equipment until he pulled the attached radio mike from where it had been wedged between the device and the wall. He pulled it free and spoke into it before holding his breath to wait for a reply.

"Dave? Dave is that you? Can you hear me?"

They held their breaths as they waited, listening to nothing but static. Hotch repeated his questions as Garcia fidgeted with the frequency dial, doing what she could to clear it up.

"…otch?" The radio cracked and Hotch grabbed Garcia's hand, stilling the knob where it was.

"I hear you Dave. What's your status?"

Hotch closed his eyes, holding his breath to focus only on listening to what the broken voice was trying to tell him.

"…down…Jay… ankle…ok…"

Hotch grimaced, trying to make sense of what Rossi was trying to tell him, "You're breaking up Dave. I just need to know, are you all okay?"

They waited in silence, both afraid to breathe for what seemed like hours until the static broke again.

"We're okay."

It was as if the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders in those few words and Hotch felt his knees weaken in relief. Garcia slumped into her chair and forced herself to breathe for what felt like the first time in hours.

"Hang on Dave," Hotch spoke again, "It might take us awhile, but we're coming for you."

"..U…rstood.."

Hotch spun on his heels, flitching in surprise at the frigid wind smacking him the face when he whipped the door open to head off across the tarmac. He didn't bother to pull the door closed behind him, knowing Garcia would be right on his heels as he jogged across the slippery runway toward the flight control building. Halfway across, he spotted two bundled up figures jogging toward the building they'd just come from. He immediately recognized Morgan's posture and Emily's smaller frame and yelled out at them. They stopped, turning into the wind to look before he waved them over to him.

"They're alive," he shouted over the wind when they joined him.

"What?" Morgan shouted back, "You talked to them? Are they hurt?"

Hotch shook his head, "I don't know. Rossi just said they're all okay."

Hotch turned back to the building, and motioned them to follow him to the flight control office. They burst through the door in a gust of wind and snow, pulling the attention of the men working inside. Emily pushed the door closed behind Garcia as Hotch called out to the man in charge.

"They're alive," he said, "I just spoke to Agent Rossi on an old CB radio. They're all alive."

The man they'd spoke to early stepped over closer, "Are you sure it was them?"

"I'm positive."

"Did you get an exact location?"

"No," Hotch frowned, "the connection was bad. He was breaking up. All I got was that they were all alright."

The man nodded, "That's great news Agent Hotchner."

Then he turned away to address a younger man across the room, "Kurt, get Harris on the phone. Tell him to start prepping for a search once this storm's over. We've got four confirmed souls that need evacuated."

"Wait, what?" Morgan stepped in, "After the storm? You said you couldn't send a rescue team if there was a possibility they were dead. They aren't dead!"

"That doesn't change the fact that there is a storm out there Agent," he argued, "Agent Rossi said they're all alright, and I'm not gonna get rescuers killed trying to bring them down. They'll just have to hold on until we can safely get to them."

Hotch glared as the man walked away from them, leaving the conversation unresolved. When he was out of ear shot, Hotch turned to his team and spoke quietly.

"Any luck on a guide?"

Morgan's jaw clenched and Emily sighed, shaking her head, "No."

"We went to all of the hunting, recreation and outdoor supply shops. We went to the Ranger's stations and even the grocery store to ask around for civilians who know the mountain. Nobody is willing to take a group of feds with no experience up that mountain in a storm." Morgan added.

Hotch stayed quiet for a few minutes, running options in his head. What he was about to do would have consequences; consequences he couldn't bring on them alone.

"We can wait out the storm and hope it doesn't last more than a day or two, or we can try to contact Cassi," he leaned in closer as he finished, gaining shocked looks from Emily and Morgan.

"What?" Morgan exclaimed, "Are you crazy? That woman is a killer, Hotch."

"Shhh," Garcia smacked him, eyeing the room. Luckily his little raise in tone hadn't gained them an audience.

"I know," Hotch confessed, "It's a long shot, and it's very unlikely that we'd even be able to get a message to her. There is supposed to be a small calm in the storm in ten hours. If Garcia can somehow contact her, she may be able to get out here by then. Assuming she would even come. I can't make this call on my own. This decision would affect all of us."

"If it saves our friends, I'm willing to do anything," Garcia didn't hesitate.

Morgan and Prentiss took a little more time, thinking their options through.

"I agree," Prentiss finally answered, chewing on her lip in uncertainty.

"Morgan?"

All eyes were on Morgan now. He wanted to tell them all they were crazy. But the howling of wind and pounding ice against the window of the building swayed him. He couldn't leave his friends out there in that, freezing, hungry, and possibly injured.

"One condition," he spoke through clenched teeth, "If she shows up, we go with her. And when they're safe off that mountain, we grab her and lock her up for good."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Hotch nodded.

They took a moment letting the decision settle on their minds before Hotch set his hand on Garcia's shoulder and spoke.

"I want you to call every phone number, email every address and log on to every site you've ever contacted her through. Leave messages on all of them, even if someone answers and tells you it's a wrong number. Post in chat rooms and networking sites if you have to. We're on a deadline; she has ten, twelve hours tops before that window to get us up there closes. Go."

Garcia nodded and pulled her coat tight before rushing out the door back toward their sanctuary and her computers. Hotch stood thinking for a few more minutes, ignoring the eyes of his agents on him.

"Hotch?" Morgan pulled him from his thoughts, "wanna share what's going on in that head?"

"I have to stay here," he answered solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Emily frowned.

"If she does come, you and Morgan will have to go up there with Cassi alone," he explained, "we need someone on damage control down here. I can't go up there and leave Garcia to fend for all of us if this goes south."

"So what do we do now?" Emily asked after letting his words sink in.

"We wait."

The shrill ringing of the phone in the living room pulled the boy from his sleep. It rang five times before he heard his mother's bedroom door open down the hall. She swore quietly as she kicked something in the dark, and a stream of light peeked under his door when she flicked the light switch in the hall. Devin blinked against the intrusion of light and reached down to pet the golden retriever at his feet when the dog lifted his head to the sound. He yawned and turned to look at the clock on the desk across the room and frowned when it was passed midnight. Nobody ever called them that late. He heard his mother's muffled voice as she answered the phone. Only a few minutes later, he saw the shadow of her feet pass under his door and the light turned off.

Must have been a wrong number, he thought to himself, and rolled back over. Before he could even get comfortable again, he heard a strange sound coming from inside his room. He opened his eyes, staring at the empty room and listened with sharp ears. Bird's head jerked up again, and he knew that the dog had heard it too. Sitting up quietly, he scanned the room. It sounded like a voice, but very quiet, like someone had left the TV on in the other room.

He slid out of bed and carefully walked toward his closet. Here the sound was louder and he could make out words. Realization hit him and he immediately knew what the sound was. He pulled the closet door open and ripped the hanging shirts aside to grab the squawking device from the charger on the shelf. The voice was loud now as he picked up the handheld radio and smiled at it.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the woman's voice echoed through the speaker and he turned the volume dial so his mother wouldn't hear.

"Maggie?" he spoke into the device.

"Devin?" the voice sounded odd, not like he remembered her sounding, "No, Devin, it's not Maggie."

Devin frowned, suddenly uncomfortable, "Who is this?"

"My name is Penelope Garcia. I work with Agent Hotchner and Doctor Reid with the FBI. Do you remember them?"

Of course I do, it was only the worst day of my life, he thought, but instead answered "Yes."

"Good, listen Devin, they need your help. Some of our friends are in trouble and we need Cas…Maggie's help to find them. Do you know where she is?"

"This is a trick," he said flatly, "It's passed my bedtime."

He moved to put the radio back on the charger, disappointed. He didn't want to talk to this stranger. They had spent weeks bothering him and his mom about Maggie and asking if they knew where she was. They kept telling them that she was a bad person, that she was dangerous. Devin knew Maggie wasn't bad. She had saved them, and they had taken her away.

"No, Devin, please," the voice begged, making him stop, "I don't need to know where she is. I don't even care. But we need her help or my friends could die. If you know how to call her, or talk to her, I just need you to give her a message for me, thats all."

Devin thought for a moment, staring into his closet at the radio. He'd seen movies, he knew they would try and trick him. They'd track his call to Maggie and go after her. But what if she was telling the truth and people would die if he didn't? He took a deep breath and picked up the radio again.

"I might not know how," he said, "but if I did, what message?" There, that should throw them off.

"Tell her that there was a plane crash. That Rossi, Reid and JJ are lost on a mountain. There's a big snow storm moving in and we're in Kotzebue, Alaska.

"How do you spell that?" Devin interrupted, scribbling notes on a paper on his desk. She patiently spelled it out for him and he frowned at the paper, "That's a weird name for a town."

"Devin please," she pulled his attention back in "We don't have very much time okay. Tell her that the storm here will break in twelve hours and that might be our only chance to get up there to help them."

"Okay, I'll tell her," he looked over his scribbled notes before adding, "If I know how to."

The voice thanked him and he replaced the radio on the charger. He carried the note paper over to his bed and climbed up on it to sit down.

"What do ya think Birdie?" he asked the dog.

The Golden Retriever looked at him for a moment, yawned and laid his head back down.

"I know right," he grinned, "A secret message from the FBI. Maggie would want to know about it."

Making his decision, he dropped from the bed and slid himself deep under the bed. Once he was all the way to the back corner, he turned over and removed the cell phone from the between the mattress and wooden slats. He powered it up and dialed the only number in the contact list.

Cassi Maddox, or Cassi Parker as she was now, was sitting hunched over a small dimly lit desk when her cell phone vibrated across the wood surface in front of her. She squinted up from the papers she had been studying and picked it up to look at the display. Reading the name on the screen she quickly flipped it open.

"Devin? What's the matter?" she was already standing, ready to run out and hop a flight to DC.

"I'm alright Maggie," the boy's voice instantly calmed her nerves.

"Devin, you are only supposed to call me if there is an emergency remember. It isn't safe." She chided the boy, but was really happy to hear his voice. It had been almost a year since they'd spoken.

"I know, but this could be a kind of emergency."

She frowned, "What?"

"A lady from the FBI called me on the walkie talkie a little bit ago. Do you know her?"

Cassi raised an eyebrow and waited for a second listening to papers shuffling on the other end.

"Crap," the boy swore, "I didn't write her name."

"That's okay, and don't say crap. I'm sure I could guess which one. What did she want?"

"She asked if I knew where you were. When I told her no, she said that she just wanted me to give you a message. Can they track a message? If they can track the message, then I don't want to give it to you."

Cassi smirked at the boy's concern. Only the child ofa wanted fugitive would be concerned with the FBI tracking his phone calls. Fortunately he hadn't been submerged in her life enough to know it was the phone call and not what was said on it that would be tracked.

"Don't worry kiddo, they can't track it, but we do have to make this call quick."

"Oh," he sounded disappointed, "Ok. She said that her friends Ross, Reid, and JJ were in a plane crash and are lost on a mountain."

Cassi frowned again. She didn't know what kind of message to expect from the BAU team, but that certainly was not it.

"They are in Kot…Kotsa.." he stuttered over the word a few times before deciding just to spell it out, "K-O-T-Z-E…"

"Kotzebue," Cassi finished for him, already pulling up a browser on the laptop on the desk.

"Yeah that," he replied, then added, "Alaska. She said there is a storm and if you don't help them in twelve hours, they would die."

Cassi stopped mid movement, "What?"

"There's a big storm I guess. She said in twelve hours it will stop for a little bit and it might be your only chance to go save them."

"Jesus Devin, that's quite a bit different than in twelve hours they're going to die."

"Maybe they might."

"They're not going to die," she rolled her eyes.

"Because you're gonna go save them?"

She paused again. When had she become so easily manipulated? "I don't know, Devin. Alaska is pretty far away."

"Why, where are you?"

"Ha! Nice try," she chuckled, and typed away at the keyboard, doing a distance search. She was surprised when the results were a good distance closer then she'd thought.

"Are you ever gonna come back?" suddenly the boy sounded sad.

She thought hard for a moment, "Someday I will," she lied then cleared her throat, "Hey Devin, I have to go."

"Have we been talking to long?" he sounded alert again, "Are they tracking the message?"

She laughed, "No, they aren't tracking anything. I have a plane to catch."

"Cause you're gonna go save 'em?"

She smiled to the empty room. Devin Foster was a hell of a manipulator.

"I'm gonna do my best."

She hung up the phone without a goodbye, she could never actually say goodbye to him, and swiftly breezed through the door of the small room. She emerged into the dark living room, lit only by the blue hue of the television in the center. She could see a large boot propped up on the coffee table and a large hand lifted the beer bottle up out of view as the man took a swig.

"Call Steve. We need a plane. " she barked as she strode across the room, and pounded on a closed door across the hall, "Get up Milo!" she yelled through it.

"A plane for what?" the man in the recliner asked, watching her move in front of the TV and pull open the closet door on the opposite side of the room.

"We have a job."

The man jerked upright, setting his beer and the table, "What? We're already on a job."

"This is more important. Deveraux can wait."

She dug through the closet, pulling out a large jacket and tossing it to him before pulling open the door of a steel gun case. She pulled two handguns from the shelf, tucked one into the back of her jeans and tossed the other one at the man.

"Wait, What? Are you hearing yourself right now?" he argued as he caught the gun.

She turned quickly, glaring up at him and spoke with an edge of warning, "Call Steve, Mason. We're going to Alaska."

Author's Note: Yay, Cassi's back along with a couple new characters. How do you think the team will react to her arrival?