Title: Salutarem Via

Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.

A/N: Hello, everyone! I had hoped to have this chapter out sooner but life had other plans. I got sick, but thanks to a nice break from school I was able to catch up (this chapter is longer than original planned because of the wait). I will not be able to update soon as finals are coming up.

I am excited about this chapter, because we are leaving Reid behind for a little bit and focusing on someone else, though he is in the beginning.

Talking about other people...I am extremely happy that all of you like (some of you even love) Adelaide. She is someone I always pictured being part of Reid's life. I hope you guys take to Manny and the Samuel Twins with same enthusiasm you have been showing toward Addie. We will be seeing more of Javier and Susana but not as frequently.

Now let's continue...

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. That right belongs to CBS, but sometimes I dream that I do own it and make Reid less of a loner. I just think even though he was a nerd he would have had friends at some point in his life.

Chapter Three: Two Sides of Right or Wrong

"There are two sides to every story, as if that explains and justifies everything! You know what I say when someone tells me that? I say well of course there are two sides to every story and one side is wrong!"-Nikki Sex

The sound of the plane jetting off warned Reid that he was indeed safe to enter the building. Avoiding Garcia should be easy, she parked herself in her lair and rarely left (only for emergencies). He entered through the back door of the building that usually was off limits. Considering his circumstances, Reid bet that his card would clear him. He knew that he would get a visit from Blackwell today insisting on grounding him until this mess gets cleaned up.

No one questioned his presence. No one questioned why he lurked in the building when the rest of his team had just taken off to solve some crime. No one questioned why he would have the key to a closed off office in the technical analysts wing.

Reid blended into his surroundings and observed. It was the reason why he was so good at his job. He crept up and annihilated his opponent before they were even aware that there was enemy in the room.

He grabbed the chair in the office and sat down. Soaking it all in, Reid scooted himself toward the desk and commenced working on the biggest project of his life.

Susana hated the fact that she was tied to the desk. She had done everything that bitch had asked, and what happened...nothing that's what happened. She did not get a thank you or a good job or anything. She was not like those low self-esteem people that need reassurance for everything, but something to show appreciation for her effort would be nice.

She knew that some of the things Lancaster was having her do was not exactly part of her job description, maybe not even exactly legal by any measure of the word. Still, Susana did all of it without even asking questions or putting a thought to her career. She could lose her job...a job that not just anyone gets. She proved herself graduating with the highest honors from Williams College with a degree in Political Economy and a concentration in Global Studies. She went on to George Washington University to receive her Masters in International Affairs.

She went to a good school showing the government of her worth, and she was rewarded with a prestigious job offer working for one of the smartest women in the country if not the planet. She could do mental math and statistical analysis to outdo the enemy, yet all she did was sit on her butt answering calls from bureaucrats and politicians.

This was not what she had in mind when she turned down the offer to work for a high paying consulting agency to accept this government job.

She typed away searching for the purpose of all of this when the phone rang. She sighed picking it up with a frustration surging through her. "This is Hand from Lancaster's office."

A rather soothing but frighteningly calm voice crawled out of the ear piece, "Well, Hand, I am not looking for Lancaster. I think the person I am looking for is you..."

The alarm warned her that the day ahead was bound to unfortunate events and high blood pressure. She discovered something beyond her reach placing her in undesired circumstances.

What was she suppose to do with this? How was she to use this information to her benefit? Most importantly, how was she going to keep this quiet?

She could not afford anyone finding out this information. She, herself, was not suppose to be snooping around this, yet she did. She knew she should not, but she did. Now, her life was endangered because of her stupidity. She stared at the screen, the alarm still ringing. She had three minutes to contemplate her next move before her boss would come and investigate the beeping.

God, she cannot tell her the truth about the tracer, but lying to her boss (a boss she liked very much) was not something she wanted to do. She weighed her options making a list of pros and cons as she heavily sighed. There was no good choice in her future, just a bad choice with a worse choice. It was perfectly clear what she had to do, although knowing that did not make it any easier for her.

The clicking of her heels grew closer and she knew her time was up. She pictured Reid hunched over a computer risking everything he had worked his whole life for just to protect them from any future danger and the decision become easier.

He sent her the warning, so she should not be surprised by the alarm she has been listening to for the past five minutes.

Knocking on her door ended her thoughts.

Her lips parted, "Come on in."

A woman walked in say, "Hey, Manny. Is there something on radar? You have something being traced that has become relevant or is it nothing?"

Manny glared at her screen one last time before spinning her chair to face her boss. Lying to her, she said, "No...no, nothing of importance as of yet. If it changes, you will be the first to know."

She gave her a stern smile advertising her position over Manny, "Good. I want to be well informed over your transactions. I know your history and you are a good agent, maybe one of the best this office has seen in a while, but I also know what that has cost you. I just want to make sure you are not in over your head."

Manny closed her eyes thinking of all the things wrong with that sentence. She proceeded to respond in a rather neutral tone, "Emily, I know when an agent is in over their heads. That used to be part of my job description. I am more the equipped to handle this, Emily."

Emily showed a genuine grin at the saucy reply, "I am the head of this office. If you wanted to be in charge of yourself, you should have accepted that job in Italy instead of transferring to London. It is part of my job description to make sure everything here runs smoothly. I cannot do that if you are causing unnecessary trouble of which I am not aware. I know your are extremely capable, but that does not mean I do not worry for you."

Manny's smile sparkled with gratitude, "Thanks for caring, Prentiss, but I can handle this."

Emily nodded, "Okay...okay. I will leave you to it." She walked out of the door into her office twenty steps away.

Manny's worried-fill expression returned. She was going to die soon. She was all too aware of that fact, but she could still get this information to Reid. She could not just call Lancaster up, but Reid sent her the warning. He knew about Tom and probably about Schneider too. He was too late to save her, but she was not too late to save him.

Pictures covered the wall, some in black and white while others were in vivid color. All of them had one thing in common. They were all surveillance photos of the team. Some were big and others were smaller, but in the middle of the wall, there was a line of photographs of every single member: three of those images had x's on them. Five of them were still intact.

A large man sat across a table. He peeked at a thinner man staring at the mural created from his efforts. He needed to find a moment where each of them where at their most vulnerable. He knew where most of them were...the beautiful brunette did nothing to hide from them. One of the twins was completely off the grid but the other should not be a problem to locate. One worked for the FBI and was always on the go, never in one place long enough to catch him. He would be difficult. The last one was somewhere in intelligence, but they could not find her. They knew she worked for Interpol, though that was it.

As long as that team of uncivilized bastards did not know where they were and what they were doing, they should not be a disturbance that could not be kept under control. The other three just were too noisy. They had to be eliminated.

The large man broke the silence, "What are your trying to find? They're just pictures."

"I know. There is something here that we are missing. I am sure of it. I just need to find out what it is. They are smart and well trained. They must know more than they are letting on."

Just as the smaller man stepped further to better examine the wall, the phone rang. The bigger man reached for it to answer, "Hello...yes, sir...no, sir...I think Adil and Nolan are in control in that area...We will keep a tighter eye on them...Yes, sir...Of course, sir...We will."

The smaller man turned around in the middle of the conversation. Staring straight at the larger man sitting, he questioned, "What did he want, Jonas?"

The larger man looked him in the eye worried filled in the blue irises. He told him the truth, "We have a problem, Hasim. A very big problem on the other side of the ocean."

Hasim waited for him to continue and when he did not he impatiently exclaimed, "What's the problem, Jonas?"

He sheepishly said, "We found the other one...the one working for Interpol. She's in London."

Javier worked as part of the special forces in the Army. Being a Ranger gave him a certain set of skills that made him desirable in very specific and powerful circles. He had his pick of jobs, but the moment he met Adelaide, he knew this was the job he wanted. She was a good person doing honest work. Smart and dedicated, Adelaide Lancaster lived a dignified life willing to sacrifice what is needed to do the right thing for the world.

He knocked on her door announcing, "Hey, you asked to see me, Adelaide...wow, someone looks nice, too nice for a night in the office."

Dressed in finery, Adelaide spun to face Javier. Her hair was curled and swept up in a spectacular bun allowing shiny drop earrings to be visible. The dress reached the floor and flowed in green satin waves matching her eyes. Clicking on the floor broadcasted the very expensive silver Louboutins that adorned her delicate feet. Her well manicured hands stretched out to touch files on her desks, a dazzling smile on her beautifully made up face.

She proceeded to interact with Javier by handing him the files and saying, "Why, thank you. That is extremely kind of you to say. I have a fancy dinner party hosted by a bunch of rich and powerful families and government officials, and yes, I did ask for you. I have something I need you to do. You need to get on a plane and head to London. There has been a development to Operation Casurus. Manula Ferro kept digging even though I warned her not to do that. You have to go to her office and pick her up for protection. She transferred over to Interpol's London office."

Javier stood tall taking everything in that Adelaide told him. When he took this job, she specifically notified him of the dangers that this post could lead. She held him in esteem high enough to let him in her little secret, one of the country's best kept secrets. He admired her compassion for others yet her ability to be able to compartmentalize that kindness into productivity. She had a strength to her he had not seen in a while from someone in her position. She could be the greatest friend and just as easily be the scariest enemy for anyone.

He nodded, "I will be on a plane in an hour."

She sighed her gratitude, "Thank you."

Javier began to exit the office when he turned around wishing, "Have fun with your boring bureaucrats and your parents, of course."

As he walked away, Adelaide slowly glided into her desk chair. With her hands over her face, she finally permitted herself to cry. If Manny died, it was on her and only on her.

Manuela tilted her head to see what was behind her. Since Reid's warning and her own findings, she had been counting down the days until it would be done. There was no escaping her death. All she could hope for is that the end would come fast and be painless for her. She hoped that the information she found would help solve the problem and save everyone that was left.

Reid's soft eyes and welcoming smile appeared in her imagination as determination to finish this war materialized somewhere within her. She may die, but at least she will save him and he will the rest of the team. Together, they will save everyone.

She walked down the London sidewalk toward her car. Files in hand, she knew Lancaster would send someone for her. She left copies in her desks drawer, and whomever Adelaide sent will need Emily's permission into her office to get them.

Emily would drop everything to help Reid, and he was going to need all the help he could get. Adelaide will not like her involvement, but Manny knew that Reid was slowly dissolving for the inside waiting for Lancaster to give him the thumbs up to tell his team.

Well, she may not be Addie, but she was giving him the permission he needed.

Quinn moved from one cabin to another. His brother had been right, and there had been no need to panic for his safety at least not as of yet. The call lasted eight minutes. Two minutes to spare before all hell broke loose. He still moved in case.

He had three properties he interchanged between for precaution. Until now, he had never been so glad for his paranoia. He wanted to call Coby to check up on him, but he could afford to put his brother and himself in anymore danger.

Looking at the equipment he invented himself, he put himself to work. He knew that with his brother working for the private sector now allowed Coby to be a more likely target than the others. It was simpler to get to him than it would be to kill off any of the others.

Typing with ferocity, he needed to become well-informed as he had been out of the loop for too long. Sending an encrypted message to the IP address the warning came from, he tagged it so Reid knew to was sent by him and no one else.

He had to prepare his battle armor, because no one was going to die. If he had anything to do with it, they will all live to a very old age.

Jonas followed him with his eyes, left to right back to left again. He kept staring until dizziness got a hold of him, "Stop with the pacing. Seriously, Hasim, you are making me nauseous."

The dirty look in his glare made Jonas straighten up in his seat, "You should be nauseous. Someone knows who we are. They have information, new information, updated information. I don't trust the idiot Adil to take care of it, and Nolan is not one to stick his hands in the mud like the rest of us."

Jonas glanced at the wall covered in pictures. He did not think it was a big deal and he voiced his opinion, "I don't see what the fuss is. Look at her. She's kind of smaller than an agent should be, and sure, she's smart and tough-looking. But can she really throw a punch hard enough to knock-out Adil."

The thinner man twisted his body to see the pictures. Painting a disturbed smile on his expression, he said, "Looks can be deceiving, Jonas. She is a well-trained operative with much experience in the field. She has killed before, and by the looks of her nose can take a beating. She may not look like much, but she is a thrown on our side that the boss wants removed. She was trying to stop us from doing the right thing by us and the Via. I am just mad that I won't be the one to remove it, and bring peace to us and the world again"

Jonas relaxed in his chair once again deciding that listening Hasim talk was not worth the anxiety. All of them hated the team that almost brought down their organization, but this will end like it did the first time with the death of one of their own.

Susana called the number that the man had given her. The ringing of the other side created a nervous energy surging through her.

"State your full name and agency."

Susana sweated her anxiety out, and mustered up as much calm and cool confidence to be able to answer the robotic voice correctly, "This is Susana Macy Hand from the State Department and Department of Defense."

A smooth and swoon-worthy voice replaced the robot, "Hello, Hand, I knew you would call."

The music sang delightfully, yet Adelaide corned herself with her family far away. Minutes ago, she had received word that Ortiz not only got a plane but a jet that could cut travel time in half. She hoped that were enough just as much as she wished that they had never been involved in the first place.

Voices blurred into one another except one, "Hey, you seem busy and preoccupied for a party. You should really have some fun."

Her gaze kept on her phone...

On a jet should be there in three hours.

She moved her eyes to face the voice, "When do I ever party, Dash?"

Dashiell dressed to the nines in a suit. He closely watched his younger sister and decided what he needed to tell her. Leaning really close, he whispered, "I heard about the bombings. Does Spencer know about them? If he doesn't, keep it that way. I don't want him to know."

She sighed, "He knows. His team was assigned to the bombings, and Reid was able to give a valid profile without giving too much information. He was not pleased at the idea of leading his team astray with outdated statistics, but he is good at his job. It's the first time in a long time that the BAU's number one team did not catch their man. Last time was before he joined the team, I think."

Dashiell laughed quietly, "That kid is something else. I knew the moment I met him he was going to do something remarkable."

Stiffening because of her surroundings, Adelaide whipped her head to see a man approaching them. Using his sister as a mark, Dashiell sized up the approaching man: tall, about his own age, handsome enough, and by his clothes-rich.

A grey suit clouded the view from the rest of the room, and that man started speaking, "Well, if it isn't two famous geniuses that like to work for the government, and one of you is quite the looker."

Dashiell smiled, "Why, that is awfully nice of you to say especially considering that my sister is one most people would consider pretty gifted in that particular department."

The unnamed man chuckled, "I was referring to your sister." He sat down next to her completely ignoring Dashiell. He continued, "I just wanted to ask you to dance."

Adelaide gave her most coy smile, "I don't dance with strangers."

He laughed hardily, "Well, in that case...Stefan Hugo Stafford, at your service, Dr. Lancaster."

She observed him for a few seconds before addressing, "I heard of you before...you are quite the genius too, if rumors hold any truth."

Dashiell looked at her with awe in his expression.

Stafford stood up and gave her his hand, "So, how about that dance?"

A piece of candy wrapper hit the dashboard as the man sat in the car. Windows down and radio silent, he watched a building with intensity. His phone vibrated with a text giving him instructions.

He called out to the man sleeping in the backseat, "Hey, Adil. It's time to go."

A big, strong man crept up from the seat with a deadly look in his eye, "Finally, I have been so bored. Where is the target? And Nolan, this better be a good one."

Nolan grinned sideways, "Target is right over there." He pointed out the window, and there was a woman five foot six, dark hair and a crooked nose glancing over her shoulder.