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Reid opened the door and found Stark standing there with a gun pointed directly at him. He held up one hand and a set of keys dangled from it. "You should have searched me better when I was knocked out Dr. Reid. It's too bad you panicked and didn't bother to check out the rest of the level you were on. Did you really think you could keep me locked up in that room?"

Did you think I wouldn't check the cameras and find out where that traitor Ramirez hid you away? I guess your technical analyst didn't get the cameras taken out as fast as you thought she would. Now that they're down, no one will see when we leave together."

Reid backed away from the man who was bleeding from the head wound in his scalp. He didn't look like he was hurt, he looked pissed off.

"That was a very stupid thing to do Dr. Reid?"

"We can talk about this." Reid said, pulling Austin to him.

"The time for talking is over. Step away from the girl."

"No…"

"Do it now!"

Reid pushed Austin behind him. "You'll have to kill me to get to her. If you kill me, Calloway will take you out."

"I'm not worried about Calloway."

"What about Strauss, she went to a lot of trouble to set this up. You kill me and my team will never stop hunting you."

"I have enough money to disappear to any one of a dozen countries without extradition treaties. Do you think I'm worried about the all mighty FBI and Aaron Hotchner?"

Reid had backed up to the couch and Stark had entered the room with his gun on both of them. There was a movement behind the big man and Reid's eyes tracked the person that had stepped into the room.

"H-hello J-Jordan," He's voice was shaking with relief.

"I'm not going to fall for that again."

"That's too bad. Drop the gun!" Jordan put her gun right into his back.

"I told you." Reid said. He reached down for his gun, keeping his eyes on Stark, who looked like he wanted to strangle Reid with his bare hands.

"I'll take care of him," Jordan said.

They led Stark into the bedroom and cuffed him to the headboard of the bed. The cheap iron clinked against and metal of the cuffs as Stark angrily tried to pull loose.

"Just settle down Agent," Jordan said. "There'll be someone along to get you loose in a few hours."

"I'll kill you all!"

"That's not very nice." Jordan said. Reid began to laugh and Austin looked at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Spencer…"

"S-sorry, It's j-just that I d-dreamed of this v-very thing when I was l-locked up. Much better than the nightmares I always have."

Jordan began to laugh too, and soon Austin was laughing as well. Stark tried to kick out at Jordan and she leveled her gun at him. "Settle down," she warned him.

They left the room and Jordan said, "We don't have much time. Get to the elevator now. Garcia can only keep the cameras down for another five minutes."

Reid picked up his messenger bag and Austin grabbed the shoes she taken off while they waited. The elevator seemed to take forever to get to the floor.

"How are we going to get out of this without being seen?"

Jordan shushed him when her phone beeped. She rapidly began to text on her phone just as the elevator doors opened. "Garcia's got it covered."

Reid shrugged at Austin and followed Jordan into the elevator. Jordan pushed the button for the garage. The elevator began to move and it didn't stop till the doors open on the garage level.

"Please don't tell me that Garcia just turned the elevator into an express." Jordan only looked at him. "Oh right!" He said.

"Spencer?"

"I'll explain later."

They headed over to Jordan's car and piled in. She drove out slowly and headed for the exit as though it were the most natural thing in the world. The guards at the gate waved her through with their usual stern faces.

"Well, that was a close one." Jordan breathed as they headed for the highway.

"Thanks Jordan," Reid said from the back seat.

He and Austin sat up from where they'd huddled in the back seat. "Yeah, thanks for getting us out of there." Austin agreed.

"I'm just glad you're okay Dr. Reid."

"I'm thrilled to be out of there."

"No offense Spencer, but I don't think I want to get back to your place of employment any time soon." Austin declared.

He put his arm around her. "I can't say that I blame you at all. Would it help if I told you that today was an off day for us?"

She stared up at him in amazement while Jordan chuckled. "That's not funny Spencer!"

He laughed at the expression on her face. "I'm sorry Austin. I'm not trying to make light of this… I just have to laugh or I'm going to go nuts."

She hugged him hard and he groaned in pain at the pressure on his tender ribs. "Sorry Spencer," she said looking him over so thoroughly that he began to feel like a horse up for auction.

"It's okay… I just want to be someplace where someone isn't threatening my life."

"We'll be there soon Dr. Reid."

"Did you hear that Austin. We're going to be safe soon."

---

Hotch was at the window when Jordan drew up in her car. His heart jumped up into his throat when Reid and Austin got out of her car. Still, he was rooted to the spot while they walked up the driveway and to the back door.

He only listened as Morgan let them into the kitchen. His feet wanted to move in the direction of the man he thought of as a substitute younger brother. He couldn't make them mover though, it was like they'd been set into cement. What an odd and curious sensation. He swallowed past the lump in throat. He'd wait for all the back slapping from Morgan and the fawning from Garcia.

"Don't you ever do this to me again sweet cheeks?" He heard Garcia scolding Reid, and it made him smile.

"Aren't you going to go say hello."

Dave had come up behind him. "I'm sure he'd like to see you."

"No, let the rest of the team talk with him. He's going to have a lot to deal with when this is over."

"He needs to see you "Dad," Rossi said with a smile.

"That's not funny!"

"Yes it is. You know that's how the kids see you."

"What does that make you?"

"Why "mother," of course," He laughed.

"Alright, let's go welcome the wayward child home."

Hotch followed Dave to the kitchen on legs that still felt very heavy. Garcia was just releasing Reid from a hug that looked like it had broken his ribs. There eyes met over the top of Garcia's head. He saw the questioning look in the younger man's eyes. He wanted to smile or give thumbs up or in someway show Reid that he wasn't afraid. Instead he felt his face rearrange into the same stern look he wore like a second skin.

He could see that Reid was disappointed, but then his eyes seemed to change as Hotch approached him. He nodded his head once and let Hotch give him a quick hug.

"You gotta stop doin' this," Morgan said.

"I didn't do it on purpose Morgan!"

"That's the point my man. You never get into trouble on purpose!"

"Should I tie a sign around me neck that says: Would you please be so kind as to not kidnap me." Reid retorted and the others laughed, including Hotch.

"No, you don't have to do that, but I believe that Garcia said once that she was going to put a bell around your neck."

"That's a good idea." Austin agreed.

"No it's not. I fail to see how making me wear a bell would stop some maniac with a gun or knife that wants to kidnap me."

Over everyone's loud laughter, there came a knock at the door. Rossi went to the kitchen door and let Emily in.

"Hey, I see you got away with your blouse intact." Morgan kidded.

"No thanks to your crazy plan."

"It worked."

"I can see that," She greeted Austin and then hugged Reid who groaned.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell running for my life."

At Emily's puzzled look he said. "I'll tell you all about it later. What happens now?" He turned his big brown eyes on Hotch.

"We wait for the fall out. Agents are on their way here to pick up Lynch. In the meantime, I suggest that you get some rest.

The room was very quiet for long agonizing moments. Then Morgan said, "So Emily, how did you get away from Jasper so fast."

Emily smirked at Morgan. "It's a good thing I have handcuffs."