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, I am back. I had trouble writing this chapter, as this is the turning point of the story. I did not want this to be a disappointment. I am hoping it lives up to all of your expectations and it somehow surprises you. It is the longest chapter I have written thus far. I am thrilled to show all of you this one, nervous but extremely excited. I hope all of you enjoy it.

Big thanks to ahwell1993 for her input on how this should happen. Always a pleasure talking to her. She has ideas that I would never have thought of on my own. This chapter would have been different without you.

I am so glad that so many of have enjoyed reading my story. I want to send a thanks to all those that have commented, followed, and favorited this story. You give me the will to finish.

Reminder that I have no beta, and I know I should probably get one. The thing is I am stubborn and I have somehow convinced myself that I do not need one. I will un-convince myself one of these days until then I am so sorry for the mistakes in my chapter. I also am terrible at writing action sequences, so there really are not any here. I did imply, but that was the best I could do. The implications themselves are kind of horrible. I am deeply sorry.

Disclaimer: I am not CBS, so I do not have the joy of owning Criminal Minds or any of its wonderful characters. I just wish upon a star that one day I will.

Chapter Eleven: Finally Asking

"When we feel weak, we drop our heads on the shoulders of others. Don't get mad when someone does that. Be honored. For that person trusted you enough, even if subtly, to ask you for help."-Lori Goodwin

Javier, with a bag of peas in hand, nursed his blue-black eye. He would never admit it, but Manuela had a fierce left hook that took him by surprised. Gently, he placed the peas on her own bruises. She had a mean hook, but he was trained by the American military. Once the surprise subsided, he knocked her out without much of a fight. She had not expected him to be a fighter.

He looked smaller than what you picture, but that was what made him so good at his job. People always categorized superficially, and he never fell into the fighter box. He appeared to be more of an office worker who happened to be an exercise enthusiast than an ex-military ranger who happened to be in an extremely expensive suit.

"Take that away from me or I'll bite your hand off. Trust me when I say this...I don't make the same mistake twice."

Grinning, Javier removed his hand from her person but left the bag of peas, "There. You can ice your wounds yourself, and while you're at it. Ice your ego."

Scowling, Manny pressed the bag to her broken lip, "You should have let me go."

"Stop, talking crazy." Pausing, he got up from his seat and kicked his way to the door. They hid in a dumpy, old shack Addie said they should use. "Besides, let's not dwell on the impossible. We're here and we got to survive."

Stillness touched their skin and their hearts pounded their chests. Both of them grew anxious as the possibility of death closed in on them. They would not survive much longer on their own. Looking back at Manny, he wondered how she did it. How did she live all those years with such a burden? How did Adelaide do the same? What about that Reid kid, how did he do it? How did any of them do it?

He had his fair share of shame to carry. Every night, he saw himself drenched in red, pure red dripping from everywhere. All the sins he committed dragged him to a bitter reality. He was no better than the people hunting the woman with the crooked nose.

Shuffling noises sporadically rang out until her soft voice called, "I should have died. I mean I was ready to die for my country, for the cause. I should have died with all those people, but I'm still here." She sat with her hands holding her head in between her legs.

Her words pulled Javier to her. Closer than before, he crouched to her level. He witnessed the first sign of vulnerability from Manuela Ferro displayed to anyone since her father's less than tragic death. He wanted to gentle wipe those tears to test their authenticity.

She continued, "I...I...I..." She gasped for air. Her head stayed in its designated spot, but her fingers stretched out. She lifted her head, "Why am I still alive? Why did I matter more than all those other people? Keller, Schneider, they died for the same reason I would have. The difference between them and me is one of logistics. Addie saved me, because she had you. And if she had you, why didn't she save them?" Pushing him aside, she stood up and paced, "Huh? Answer me that. Why...did she save me...and...not any of them?"

Not knowing how to answer, he replied earnestly, "I. Don't. Know." He also got up and joined her. Facing her, Javier carried on, "I really don't know, but I can guess. I think she was tired of seeing people she knew die off. I think she grew tired of not being able to do anything, so she did something. In doing so, she risked a lot. I think Adelaide couldn't save Keller or Schneider, but she knew if she tried hard enough...if she cared enough, she just might be able to save you."

He knew that was not the answer she desired from him, yet he relished in the fact that truer words have not passed between the two of them.

He looked at her, really looked at her. What he saw was unexpected. The strengthen she exhibited for most of their acquaintance slid down her cheeks, and all he could do was direct her to take a seat. She was not one to allow herself to be susceptible to ridicule. Harden by circumstances, Manuela Ferro was not one to permit others inside her bubble; yet, she sat down and leaned into Javier counting on him for support.

She opened her skin for him, and he was not going to disgrace such a gift with insensitivity. Addie asked him to protect her from everything that could cause her harm in anyway which included themselves. He covered her newly exposed wounds with his own body. Without protest, she granted him permission. She accepted his warmth, and by extension, she willed herself to accept the much needed help being offered to her by those that cared enough to stay.

She needed help, and she no longer contained the energy to deny that fact.

They caught him a little too late. Marley McGuire was found dead by JJ on the floor of Daniel Lyons's basement. The only good thing that came out of that was they saw Lyons by the body. He had no choice but to plead guilty. She had been dead for less the three minutes.

Now on the jet headed home, Hotch watched his team. Glover and Morgan overcame the loss by comparing workout routines as everyone knew that was the best way to get over anger. With no Reid to speak to, JJ called home. Hearing Henry's voice always calmed her down. Rossi sat across from him with eyes curious and lips ready to console.

Hotch peered at him, "Go ahead. Tell me what you want to say."

Rossi nodded, "I don't have anything to say." Receiving a look from Hotch, Rossi gave up the pretense, "Okay, okay. I just wanted to remind you that we did good today. It may not have ended in the way we wanted, but we are not superheroes. We do what we can and the rest lies with God."

Sighing, Hotch rubbed his face, "It is more than the fact that Marley was dead when we found her. I...I pictured Reid like that just for a second. I saw him dead. I don't know if it's the dad in me or something, but I know something is about to happen. Reid is in trouble, and we are about to find out what it is."

Hotch would never physically ask for help by breaking down nor would he ask for it verbally but David Rossi knew what this was. This was Hotch's way of admitting defeat in some way. He needed someone to help him shoulder the burden, so Rossi did what anyone in his position would..."When we get there, we will do our best to help him in anyway he needs whether or not Spencer asks for our help."

Tired and ready to sleep away the worry for at least one more night, Hotch groaned when his phone buzzed. "Hotchner."

"Sir Hotch, I am here to inform you that Emily Prentiss from Interpol has arrived in Quantico two hours ago."

"What is she doing there?"

"She is here because one of her agents went missing and it could be connected to one of our previous cases, the bombing case in Maryland we did not solve. She was hoping to poke our brains."

"Okay."

"Emily is asking, if she should not have assumed that you would help her. We are going to help her, right Sir?"

"Of course, we will help her in anyway that we can."

"Okay, sir. Emily is expressing her gratitude with cries of joyous triumph. Should I make a video call to inform everyone?"

"No need. I'll let everyone know."

"Okay, sir. I'll see you all when you get back. Have a wonderful rest of the flight."

"Thank you, Garcia."

By the end of the conversation, the team gathered around their unit chief. Glover was the one that spoke, "There cannot be another case already. We haven't even landed. Come on, Hotch. We all just want to go home for at least a night."

With unfaltering gaze, Hotch announced, "Emily arrived at Quantico a couple of hours ago. She has requested the team's assistance with the disappearance of one of her subordinates. Apparently, she was looking into one of our previous cases before she went missing."

Morgan crossed his arms, "In that case, when do we start?"

Hotch said, "As soon as we land."

Nolan was not an idiot. When the smooth voice of his boss announced that their plans had changed, he cringed at the thought. This was the idea that the team was waiting for. The problem lied in the fact that it was not his team.

"I want you to simply end it. I want you to kill whoever is left. I have an idea of where the government may have taken Samuels. We need the information he has, so extract it before you kill him. As for Manuela Ferro, you can just get rid of her and her companion."

Hassim and Nolan watched him as the perfectly dressed man stared at the pictures on the wall. One more red x marked one more photograph. Four of the team of eight still lived. Half of them roamed the planet aware of the looming darkness. That was about to change. None of them could be breathing, if they hoped to achieve anything.

"Dr. Reid should be easy. Get rid of him first. Without him, whoever is left will have a hard time getting anywhere. Try to make him see reason, but he is not of great importance to me. If he causes any trouble, just kill him. As for her..." He pointed at the picture of the beautiful girl with greens. He pointed Adelaide. "We need her. She's going to be tricky, but as far as I know she is not much of a fighter. Bring her here."

Nolan stood up bewildered, "Why?"

"We need her. She has information, and she is too clever for her own good. Best not allow her any means of outwitting any of you, morons." He turned to face them all. His eyes gleamed with wickedness and a cunning smirk graced his rather handsome face, "Besides, she owes me a dance."

He walked out of the abandoned building leaving them to figuring out a way to do as they were told. None of them jumped at the chance to shed blood, none of them except Adil. They peered at one another waiting for one of them to take charge.

Adil spoke first, "I will happily take that London chick. I owe her one, and the challenge of that protector kinda makes it the best one. If you all will excuses me, I have prey to kill."

With them eyeing one another, Jonas took it upon himself to stop him, "Not so fast, Adil. I think it is best if Hassim gets her. He has better control and can blend better to an unknown environment. Not to mention, he is a sniper. We have no reason to get close. Nolan will get Dr. Reid from his apartment. He is not much of a fighter, but we need someone who can keep up with him intellectually at least a little. Nolan is the smartest out of all of us. You will go to Boston and get the other twin, the right twin. He will be heavily guarded. We need muscle for that. You, my friend, are our muscle."

Annoyed, Adil huffed, "Fine...but that leaves the pretty thing for you."

Jonas turned to see Adelaide's photograph. Her green eyes glowed and burned into his soul, "Yes, it does. I will not fail. I was the spy, and I can get in and out without detection. This is the best course of action for success."

Everyone nodded. All four them slumped over their seats and leaned into them. Tired and anxious and isolated, they wondered of their long forgotten families praying for a sign of comfort from them. Eyes closed, each and every one of them wished for a shoulder to help with their heavy burdens and a voice to lead them in the correct direction. They were ready to receive any help, yet they sat hopeless feeling that this may be the end of the war and it will not end in their favor.

Spencer Reid prided himself on the fact very few things went over his head. He had grown up a lot since those awkward days at the BAU. So much occurred between then and now. So much happened to him and to the ones he cared for the most.

He left the cave with a resolve to fix everything.

The automatic voice announced his stop, so he jostled his way out of a busy car. Stepping onto an equally busy platform, he thought of a plan. He needed to get home fast. Deciding that running to his apartment may be the best option, a woman bumped into him.

She proclaimed, "I am so sorry."

Reid steadied her and replied, "Don't worry about it."

The woman quickly lost herself in the crowd and did not turn to face the man that aided her. Instead, she dug into her bag and pulled out a cellphone. Dialing a number, her heart beat rapidly. The tone raised her pulse.

Someone picked up yet did not answer. The other side waited for her to speak first. So she did, "He is headed up to his apartment. He seems distracted but that could mean anything. He may not have anything for us, or he may have it all. Good luck."

Hanging up, she maneuvered herself through the crowd into a car and settled on a seat. The train swooshed away from a very tall genius jogging to his apartment. That genius never took a good look at the woman who hammered into him. If he had, he would have observed that she was the same woman with the child all those weeks ago. He would have noticed that she was the one that flirted with him and asked about his ability to read extremely fast. He would have noticed that she was the same woman who made conversation with him on the day he went to see Adelaide. He would have thought that to be peculiar, and he would have been much more alert.

The thing was...he did not look at her. He never noticed all those things. He ran up the stairs of Capitol Plaza Apartments. He went up to apartment number twenty-three and opened the lock door. He found nothing out of the ordinary in the idea that specific woman bumping into him and leaving.

He blindly entered his apartment. He wandered to his living room, dropped his messenger bag on the couch, and dragged himself to the kitchen to make himself a strong drink. Preoccupied with his brain and all it contained, he did not hear that six minutes after he arrived someone snuck in through his window. It was not until the intruder was already entering the kitchen that he snapped back to this reality.

He hated being coddled like a child. Still, Coby knew not to enrage any of the bulky idiots assigned to his protective detail. It just was hard as their stupidity made it difficult for Coby to have any stimulating conversation. It was why he and his brother got along with the team in the first place. They all had substance between their ears that fashioned them smart enough to go beyond sports talk.

He always thought his brother and he were the most intelligent people to have ever graced the planet. Spencer and Addie gave them a rather needed awakening. God, were they smart, true geniuses.

Annoyed with the circumstances, he heard noises outside his door. He may not have been a field agent when he started and may not have been an agent at all for the last couple of years, yet he knew those sounds were trouble. He looked around. He had three minutes to make a decision about what to do.

Smashing all his computers except a small tablet that he put in his bag, he climbed out a window. The door crashed open as soon as he dropped on the floor. He ran faster than his body could handle. Making an assessment of the environment, he spotted a large man eyeing him. This was it. This was how he was going to die, but that did not mean that he must take others with him.

He jogged to an alley way. There, an idea struck him. Two minutes until his hunter cornered him, he prepared himself.

"Why must you make this difficult? We both know how this is going to end."

Hidden behind the shadows, Coby tricked him in following soft commotion further into the alley. With every step, Adil drifted further away from Coby. Just as Coby's heart began to slow, Adil popped up in front of him.

"I may look like an idiot, but that don't mean I am one."

As Adil launched himself, Coby sacrificed his tablet by blocked the attack with it. Surprised, Adil slowed his movements long enough for Coby to get away. Grabbing a rather large rock, Coby incapacitated Adil allowing him to scurry off. He left the burly man on the floor, unconscious.

Finding himself seven blocks from the alley, he noticed a red splotch on his shirt spreading. Coby concluded that he must have cut himself sometime in the fight. The adrenaline left his system and pain began to take over his body.

Stumbling, he entered a cozy café that was rather empty. Not understanding what the waitress told him, he fell over asking for help, "Can someone please call an ambulance. I think I'm dying."

The last thing he saw before leaving the conscious world was a shocked face of a woman as he lifted his hand to show the wound to all that were there.

A crowd gathered around him with a man in his forties relaying the details of the scene to someone on the other side of his phone call. Five minutes later, emergency responders carried Coby out of the café into an ambulance. Police questioned everyone in the café with no one having answers. The chaos created by the rescue masked the man in dark.

He also was injured, yet the scowl on his bloody face flashed an angry story. He did not need assistance for his own damages, but he acquired it for another reason entirely. He completely failed at obtaining the information from the man now being taken to the hospital. The only consolation he received from his defeat was that the possibility of him dying from his injury existed.

Adil limped away from the scene. His boss was not going to be pleased with the turn of events, but he knew that a hospitalization would grant him some time to make up for this particular fumble. One foot in front of the other, he wander back to the building where he left two dead men.

Stepping over their bloody corpses, he reached for the phone, "Hey, I have bad news. We completely underestimated the computer geek. Destroyed all of the computers. He got away. On the bright side, he will be in a hospital for the next couple days. I was able to get a few good ones in. He might not even make it."

The voice on the other line spoke with venom, "You imbecile! How on earth did you let him get way?"

Nursing his head, he scanned the room, "He was more trouble than the two Marshalls assigned to him. They were kinda easy to take down. The nerd was resourceful, but like I said, he probably will die."

"Just get back. Hassim lost track of his mark. Apparently, the muscle actually has a brain unlike you." Adil rolled his eyes but allowed him to continue without interruption. "I have yet to hear back from Jonas or Nolan. Meet up with Hassim."

He hung up leaving a very frustrated Adil to contemplate the mess of the apartment. Deciding to simply wipe his DNA off the furniture, he exited the space where two clean and naked bodies laid on the shiny floor.

Adil left with a plastic bag in one hand and a grim expression on his face. As he whistled, not a single person noticed the burly man walking out. He simply got into his car and drove away.

The team practically flew from the jet to the building. Taking the elevator, they anticipated meeting Emily once more.

Spilling out of the elevator, the entire team was greeted by a smiling pair. Emily let go of Garcia to hug a grinning JJ. Taking turns, everyone had a special moment with her. After their embrace, Hotch introduced her to the new member.

"This is Nathan Glover." He pointed to an average-looking man. "Glover, this is Emily Prentiss." They shook hands and shared a quick reassuring smile.

Emily faced her old team and a cold, calculating expression replaced the happy demeanor she conveyed mere seconds ago, "I am sorry for springing this on all of you so soon after another case. I just don't know who to trust with this, and when I saw your names on the list of investigators looking into a suspicious bombing, I knew I had to come straight here."

Rossi's heart began to sink. His fear of Reid's involvement with government secrecy was now more than just a nightmare, "What can we help you with?"

Emily motioned them to the now empty bullpen, "Manuela Ferro, 37, has been missing for a little over a week. She has a specialty in bombs. I know she has a degree in chemical engineering from UCLA and worked in the CIA for a while. The last thing she looked into before disappearing was a bombing in Maryland. It used the same type of bomb as one of her past cases for the CIA, her last assignment for them actually."

Hotch's rather stoic face furrowed, "What was her assignment?"

"She was stationed in northeastern Africa for a while and then she was in the middle east. She and a team of still unnamed personnel were assigned to bring down a terrorist organization. They had been there to try to bring an end to them. The branch was small, but they had been doing a lot of damage. They stopped three bombings. Though they did leave the organization with pretty much nothing, the team was unable to actually stop them. The assignment is under codename: Operation Casurus."

Hotch contemplated the name, "Operation Casurus...it means the fall in Latin, how appropriate."

JJ stepped in to speak, "Okay, so did she think that same group is behind the bombings in Maryland?"

Emily's face grew worried, "I do not know. She didn't exactly tell me anything. I only know all of this because she went missing and was kind enough to leave all this behind for me to find once she was gone. I only know what she wants me to know."

Morgan entered the conversation next, "Okay, what makes you think that?"

Emily crossed her arms, "She has a genius level IQ, 141 to be exact, and she worked as a spy for the CIA. She knows how we operate better than anyone. I found this because she knew where I would look and no one else would. The fact of the matter is she could have left the names of everyone involved but she didn't. I don't know why, but she didn't. I need all of you to help me find out as much as we can about this operation as soon as possible."

Glover chuckled, "How in the hell are we suppose to do that? You work for Interpol and you couldn't find the files for this. How are we, lowly FBI agents, going to get the clearance to get you your missing information?"

Emily sighed, "I was hoping between Hotch's connections and JJ's friends, we may be able to get access to some of the restricted files. I mean Chief Cruz likes you guys. He could help."

Garcia concluded this was the best time to contribute her part, "I already to tried to decode some of the stuff on the drive Emily gave me. It is pretty brilliant work, and it is taking me longer than I would like to admit...but I should have a decoded files for all of you in an hour or two."

Rossi stayed mute, but he twisted his head slightly to give Hotch a glare. They exchanged silent words. This was going to be trouble.

Taking the lead, Hotch nodded, "Well, it looks like we are going to have a long night. Now, if anyone of you wants to head home, now is the time. This looks dangerous, and once you are involved there is no going back."

Glover was the only one to hesitate as there was nothing personal at stake for him; however, he ended up deciding to stay and help. "My wife is already half way to a divorce lawyer. What is another case going to do?"

Chaos dying down, Emily finally noted the absence of a significant member of the team, "Hey, where's Reid? There is a lot of paperwork to get through and some of it is in some sort of code. He is the best man for that job."

Rossi was the one to answer, "He has been taken time off. He was shot in the field not that long ago, and we all felt it was best for him to rest up a bit."

Determined to solve this case, Hotch ordered Morgan and Glover to go over to his apartment, "Morgan, Glover, go and get him. I don't want to risk it by calling. I want this just to stay between us."

JJ delved into her bag. Handing them a key, she said, "Here, use my key to get in. He may not be awake and it's best not to have Morgan kicking down his door."

Laughing, Glover took the key from her. Morgan protested, "Hey, I am more the muscle around here. I don't just kick down doors."

Emily missed the playful moments like this as there can't be as many when she is the one in charge of so many lives. Laughing, she disagreed, "I don't think that's true, Morgan. If I recall correctly, you mostly only kicked down doors to let the rest of us in."

Already walking away, Morgan turned to face her, "Haha. Go ahead and poke fun. Let's see you get in without me there to knock those doors down."

They took the elevator down. They rode it in quiet, both speculating about the day's events. They existed the elevator and walked toward a black SUV.

With Morgan driving, Glover asked, "Hey, where does Reid live?"

"Not to far from here. Should not be more than twenty minutes."

Those twenty minutes were spent in quick and sporty banter. Soon enough, they arrived at Capitol Plaza Apartments. Jogging to the door and up the stairs, Morgan knocked on the door. For few seconds, nothing happened.

Then, Glover wondered aloud, "What was that?"

Morgan listened more intently and there it was again. A soft clash rang out, and that was the only invitation Morgan needed. He pulled out his glock and yelled, "Reid!" Kicking down the door, he repeated, "Reid!"

What they saw was not what they thought they ever would experience. Reid was wrestling with a man. He was shorter than Reid although he appeared to be bulkier. Morgan's yells distracted the man long enough for Reid to get in one good punch knocking him out.

Bleeding from multiple cuts and bruises, Reid struggled to regain his breath. On his feet, he acted quickly. Picking up the stranger's weapons (a gun and two knives), Reid dived for his handcuffs in his bag. The man on the floor groaned. Reid handcuffed him and tugged him up.

The stillness felt like a shock. Spencer finally addressed his guests, "If you are here, it must mean Emily's here. If Emily's here, it's best we get going." He pulled the man forward with him and passed the two dumb-stricken men. He turned to face them again, "Come on. There may be more, and we definitely do not want to be here if they come."

As he knew they would follow him, Reid did not wait for them. He was already half way down the stairs when he heard Morgan come out of his stupor. "Reid! Reid! What the hell, man?!"

Not stopping his feet, Reid responded, "I'll explain later. Come on. Hotch is waiting, and I rather not be here for much longer. I am assuming that black SUV is yours." He opened the trunk and pushed the man inside harshly making sure to knock him unconscious once more. Aware that Morgan was not in any mood to drive, he stepped toward him and snatched the keys.

Making himself comfortable in the driver's seat, he called out, "Come on. We don't have all day. Actually, we don't have much time at all."

Glover quickened his movements and opened the door to the backseat permitting Morgan the privilege of the passenger's seat. Morgan was not too far behind Nathan. Both of them now inside the SUV, Reid sped off leaving his ruined apartment.

They had been driving for seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds when Glover attempted to make some sense of what had just occurred, "Okay, I know I am new. I haven't been a part of this team for long, and I especially don't know you," pointing to Reid, "very well...but...um...by Morgan's reaction, that was not normal for you. So, I am just gonna ask..."

Morgan interrupted Glover's speech, "What the hell was that, Reid? I mean, what the..." He inhaled deeply before continuing, "Who the hell is in our trunk? Why in the hell is he in our trunk?" He paused again trying to gather his thoughts, "I just...I am confused. What's going on?"

Peering into the rearview mirror, Reid calmly replied, "I don't know exactly who he is, but I think I may know what is going on. I will explain everything. We just need to get to the team first."

With that, they remained silent for the next ten minutes. No one said a word until they arrived back at Quantico. All that could be heard was the soft murmurs of everyone processing the craziness that had ensued and the moans of the man trapped in the trunk of an FBI marked vehicle.

Reid parked the SUV. Without hesitation, Morgan left the other two alone. He slammed the door shut and started to walk away.

Glover called after him, "Morgan! Morgan! Something's wrong!"

Returning swiftly, Morgan spotted Glover's concern. Spencer was bleeding from his side. "Hey, man. We should take you to the hospital."

Glover echoed his sentiment, "I agree, Reid. You really should have someone look at that."

Retrieving his attacker, Reid ignored both Morgan and Glover's reasoning. He marched into the building, and the other two dutifully followed. They rode the elevator in silence though Morgan's retuning anger filled the enclosed space. The ding declared their floor. All three of them hiked up to the bullpen where the rest of the team gathered around them.

It was JJ that saw them first. "What the hell happened to you?"

Glover shook his head to denounce any blame and show all of his confusion, while Morgan seethed, "I have no idea. Why don't you ask, Reid?"

Passing them, he yanked his captive to an interrogation room. With his back to them, Hotch and Rossi caught each other's troubled looks. Overwhelmed, Hotch motioned everyone to the conference room knowing that Reid would be able to locate them.

Once they all arrived minus Spencer, Rossi voiced, "Well, I am sure we will get an explanation."

Collectively, they stared at the doorframe. There stood a disheveled and bloody Reid.

Most of them were sitting in their usual seats though Hotch was on his feet, erect and arms crossed. He demanded an answer, "You want to tell us what on earth is happening, Reid?"

Slowly, Reid approached them. With a pitiful attempt to ease their worry, he chuckled, "Hotch, I messed up. I mean I really messed up. I was stupid. I..." He cleared his throat as he choked up a little, "I need your help." He moved to look at his family, "I need all of your help."

It was all they wanted from him as there was no way they would not aid him anyway they could.

Adelaide left a coded message for Javier.

Spencer and she agreed to continue all of it his way for here on out. His team would be allowed to know everything that was vital which would be determined by Reid himself. She was not permitted to give her input in deciding what was appropriate to announce. Reid held all of the power in his hands. The only thing she needed to do was somehow uncover where Javier and Manuela as they both refused to believe they had died. In some forgotten place, Javier and Manuela found refuge from all of this. At least that is the picture they painted for themselves to help them feel a little bit better.

Her message asked him to come to Quantico as soon as possible. Spencer required their presence for the investigation. Hoping that was enough, she entered her office. With no Susana to greet her, a replacement welcomed her.

A well dressed man in his mid-twenties looked up and down to relay a message, "Ma'am, I got a call from Metro DC specifically from a Detective LaMontagne. They want to ask you questions about a Susana Hand. I told him that you could not see him today, but he came here anyway. I tried to..."

Lifting her hand to stop him, Addie sighed, "It is okay. He can come into my office."

"He is already there."

She stepped her way through the door and there stood a well-built man. He appeared tired but his face was still handsome. Of course, he would be the one leading Hand's murder. He was the top detective in his department, and this was an extremely high-profile case. The chief would want the best guy on the job, "I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I was not aware you were here. I do not want you to think I do not care about this, because I do. So, what can I do for you?"

Will knew from the minute she opened her mouth that there was more to this. He may not be a profiler, but he was damn good at his job. He had intelligence and experience on his side. Despite her position and the government's reputation of reluctance to help solve murders of their people, he recognized the sincerity of her voice. She really desired to help. She was going to be useful, "I just want to know about her last day in work. Was she acting like herself? Was she acting strange?"

Pausing, she huffed, "At first, I would have said no, but there was actually something strange about the last time I saw her. She looked ill, and I told her to go home. I...she may not have been physically ill. Something may have been bothering her."

"Do you know what?"

Hesitation drew a line between truth and justice. Adelaide wished to tell this man before her all she knew about what had killed her, yet she realized the impossibility of that occurring. This good man was asking her for assistance in solving a brutal murder. Justice did not befriend the honest, not in her line of business.

She played on her desk trying to find the answers to his question. There were too many possibilities to give a satisfying response to send him on his way and give him a hint that he could use later in his investigation. Not that it would matter, he would be iced out sooner or later. He would not solve this one without some help from a cooperating intelligence agency from the most secretive country on the planet.

Addie manipulated everything, "I have no idea. I am so sorry. As you can imagine, this place does not encourage communication between parties. I can only think she did not tell anyone what was bothering her." Staring him in the eye, she saw just how quick he was. "I do have to go back to work, so if you do not have anymore questions. I bid you good luck."

There was more to this, but Will knew how to pick his battles. He stood in his place and gave her a gentle yet perspective smile, "If you figure something out or just remember something else, here is my card. Have a good day, ma'am."

As his stride took him to the door, Addie did something irresponsible. She got up and went to him. Saying, "Detective, if I can help you any way, please let me know," she handed him a card...

Don't come back here. If you need help, call Spencer Reid.

Will knew something was different about Reid for a long time. He noticed the little things the BAU would not for the mere reason that they were too close. He controlled his expression not revealing anything, "I most certainly will. Thank you." He walked away. Not a single soul realized about the secret exchange between the two parties.

Will needed help and asked for it. Now, much like his wife, he was in the middle of something bigger than anything he could ever dream up in his mind. He needed to call his JJ to see who this person was and how Reid was connected to someone with such a nice office in the Pentagon.

He walked out unsatisfied and overwhelmed by the situation as Addie crouched down on the floor with the door locked and quietly wept. She could not longer deny her emotions. She needed air. She needed to be away from all of this.

She slowly stood up from the floor and wiped the salty tears from her cheeks. Adelaide Rose Lancaster was a professional during all of her cases no matter what was at stake. She had a personal connection to this particular one, but that was not going to distract her from what needed to get done.

Exhaling, she strutted out of her office. No one noticed. No one paid attention. They busied themselves with other things that at the time probably appeared to be more important. So many files and phone calls distracted them from the bigger picture. They would all say that everything seemed normal. She smiled and was polite. She was just as intimidating as always. Nothing was out of place.

They would all regret everything that happened from the moment she stepped out of her office and walked out into the street using the extra exist in the back of which so few people knew. They would regret not offering her a shoulder or not being as willing to help as she would have been if the story were reversed. She was all alone, because they rejected the subtle hints she gave them. They rejected her cries of help. All the business of the office drowned out her whimpers.

Someone can only wait for so long before she moved on. No one answered, so she did indeed move on. She moved on to the back corner of an empty street where no one would hear or see anything. That was the purpose of its creation. It worked perfectly.

The worries over her team distracted her from the ruffling noises behind her, something she would have caught on to if it were a normal day (any other day). She never saw it coming.

It was too late when she opened her eyes and viewed a man directly behind her. She could not move without him retaliating first. There was no logical way of escape.

It was too late when she whispered, "You are not going to kill me, are you?"

It was too late when she heard, "No. No, I am not," before a stinging seized her body up and the world faded around her.

It was too late when her dear old Billy Boy consumed all her thoughts.

It was too late when she finally realized who was helping her enemy with all of this. It was all simply too late.