A/N Darn, I still don't own Criminal Minds.

Thanks for the kind reviews and PM's.

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A thousand things ran through Reid's mind; everything he knew about braking systems and what to do when they failed, how to avoid a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian; thoughts of his mom and his team, his family. He shifted gears, reached for and pulled the emergency brake, effectively slowing his vehicle somewhat but not stopping it. He leaned on the horn to warn other vehicles and pedestrians and then attempted to steer his SUV toward the curb but there were too many parked cars for him to get close enough to the curb and slow himself. All that was left was to steer the vehicle to the safest place possible for him and others on the road. He saw an alley up ahead and turned into it. Then he saw what he needed, a telephone pole. He steered the SUV toward it attempting to hit it on the passenger side. The contact was jarring and he felt his head go back and hit the headrest as his airbag deployed.

Reid sat for a few moments, stunned by what had just happened. Had someone really tried to kill him? He knew his SUV was in good working order; he had had it checked before he began his trip. People were starting to gather around him in the alley. One man approached the vehicle and opened the driver's door. "Sir, are you all right?"

Reid looked up at the man. He was about fifty-five with gray hair and much calloused hands. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. My brakes failed and I was trying to avoid getting anyone hurt. I didn't hit anything, did I?"

"No, only the telephone pole and I think your car got the worst of that deal. I'm Dom Melnick, I run the service station over there. You're the FBI guy, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Are you kidding, everybody knows about the murders and that Kyle has got some guy from the FBI helping him. Everyone in this small town knows who you are. I should call an ambulance for you."

"I don't think I need an ambulance." Reid said, starting to get out of the vehicle. As he stood up he got a very sharp pain in his neck. "Aah ouch, no I'm okay, just a bit of a sore neck. I'll get it checked out." He walked to the front of the SUV to assess the damage. The passenger side was pretty smashed up but at least he wasn't badly hurt and he hadn't caused any damage to the town or its people, well except for a dinted telephone pole. He pulled out his cell phone and called Kyle, who happened to be at the diner.

Kyle was stunned to hear what Reid was telling him. "Hang on, I'll be right there. Are you hurt? Well, I think you should go to the hospital." He ended the call and turned to the two women beside him, "That was Reid, apparently someone tampered with his brakes and he had an accident on Market Street. Luckily, he doesn't appear to be badly hurt and no one else was injured. Good thing he knew what to do. I'm heading over there now."

"Wait Dad, are you taking him to the hospital. We better make sure he's okay. I'll go to the hospital and meet you there. You mean someone in our town tried to kill him? Who would do that? "

Miriam piped up, "Probably whoever committed those murders didn't think Kyle would be able to figure it out and didn't count on there being an FBI agent on the scene. Maybe he saw Reid as a threat and decided to get rid of him, I mean, what's one more murder?"

Kyle left to head over to the site of the accident. Reid was sitting in the driver's seat when Kyle arrived followed a short time later by Roy. 'Wow, it's lucky that no one was hurt, this is one of the busier streets in town. You did a good job driving Reid." Kyle said. "Now we better get you to the hospital and get you checked out."

Reid talked to Dom Melnick before he left. "I want this vehicle impounded. I want you to call me when you get it up on the hoist, I want to look at it, I want to take pictures and I want to dust the sides and the underside for prints. I want this handled personally by you and I will communicate with you, is that clear."

"Yes, perfectly clear Agent Reid."

Reid allowed Kyle to take him to the hospital where he was seen by Dr. Romero, a short kindly looking older man. "The x-ray showed nothing broken. You have a case of whiplash. Your neck will be sore for a while, possibly your shoulders. You suffered some soft tissue damage to your muscles. I'll give you something for the pain and a muscle relaxant."

"Do not give me any narcotics Dr. Romero."

"Why do you say that Agent Reid: Just some acetaminophen with codeine; it will help the pain."

"Dr. Romero, I recently spent time in a rehab facility for a Dilaudid addiction. I do not; I repeat do not want any narcotics."

"Fine Agent Reid, we'll do it your way, I'll just give you straight acetaminophen and Baclofen, that's a muscle relaxant, how's that?"

"Thank you Dr. Romero."

While he was waiting for the nurse to come with his medication, he looked up and saw Colleen standing in the doorway. "Hi" she said, "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, come on in, you don't have to stand in the doorway."

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, I feel it's all my fault. I was the one that suggested to my Dad that he should ask for your help. I never dreamed that anything like this would happen to you." She had come into the room and Reid could see she was crying.

"Colleen, please don't cry; none of this is your fault." He sat up as she approached the gurney he was on. His neck was really giving him hell. He eased off the gurney as she reached him. She looked so miserable that he felt the need to comfort her. He put a hand up and touched her face and wiped away her tears, then his lips were brushing hers, ever so gently, at first, but the kiss quickly deepened until they heard a throat being cleared and they saw the nurse with his medication and Colleen's father watching from behind.

Smooth move, genius, caught red handed with the sheriff's daughter; you may have more than whiplash to worry about.

He and Colleen separated and he took his medication from the nurse, she also gave him a prescription for the muscle relaxant and told him he could get acetaminophen at the drug store. Kyle still stood by the door not saying anything. Reid could only imagine what he would say when he finally did speak. Colleen looked awkwardly between Reid and her father, then squeezed Reid's hand and nodded good bye to her father. When she got behind her father she turned and gave a quick glance back at Reid and then she was gone leaving Reid and Kyle alone. Reid decided he might as well face the music head on and looked Kyle in the eye. Kyle looked back at him, remembering when he was that age; he knew he shouldn't be angry with Reid, but he didn't want to see Colleen get hurt. What he said was "Come on, we better get you your medication, we'll talk later."

When they were in the car, Reid looked at his cell phone and noticed he'd gotten a call from Garcia, while he had his cell phone turned off in the hospital. He quickly called her back.

"Office of supreme genius, how may I help you?"

"Well supreme genius, this is just mediocre genius, did you work me some magic as Morgan would say?"

"Oh boy, sweetness, where have you been, I've been trying to reach you for a while."

"Sorry Garcia, I had to turn my cell phone off while I was in the ER."

"The ER! What were you doing in the ER, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, I had a minor accident and suffered whiplash but the doctor has given me medication and assures me I'll be fine." He rattled off quickly hoping a jovial sounding voice would put an end to her questions.

No such luck he thought as Garcia immediately responded with, "Accident, what kind of accident? Are you sure you're all right? Do you need anything Honey?"

"It was a minor thing Garcia, I sort of hit a telephone pole."

"Sort of hit a telephone pole. Reid I know you don't drive a lot around here but you're a better driver than that. Oh Reid, I have to ask, you weren't… impaired in some way were you?"

Reid was hoping to avoid mentioning the cut brake lines because he knew where that could lead but he couldn't have her thinking he was impaired in any way; he also knew where that would lead. "Okay Garcia, I'll tell you but promise me you won't go running to the team in a panic."

"Reid, now you're scaring me. Okay, I promise."

Before she could say any more he said, "My brake lines were cut."

"What! Oh my God! Oh my God! Someone tried to kill you." Her voice was cracking with emotion.

"Garcia, I'm fine. I'm right here with the sheriff, do you want me to give him the phone and he can confirm that I'm okay."

"No, that's okay, I believe you."

"Now, before we got off track, you were calling me about…"

"I had that DNA comparison done like you asked, with some interesting results."