A/n hey everyone I want to thank all of you that still support this story. The next chapter is here.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is the property of CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.

Emily carried two cups of coffee into the noisy, and crowded precinct bullpen. All of the desks were occupied by police officers and the remaining members of her team. Most of them were busy with phones, and the tip line that had been going crazy with calls ever since JJ's press conference had aired.

Emily caught bits and pieces of the conversation as she made her way through the maze of desks to where JJ was just ending a phone call.

"Yes sir… No sir… I'm sure the officers weren't laughing at you. Yes sir… I'll be sure to pass your complaint along to the Chief of Detectives. Yes sir… Goodnight!

JJ slammed the phone down and glared at the receiver. "Hey JJ… I got the last of the coffee for us."

Emily sat down in the chair facing JJ and placed the cup of horrid precinct coffee in front of the dejected looking communications liaison. "People are out of their minds." JJ announced as though she were the first person on earth to ever think this about her fellow human beings.

"Well… not everyone… What happened sweetie?"

"That man is sure that the man down the hallway is the killer. He claims that he saw his neighbor carrying a body out of his apartment in an Oriental rug last night!"

"Well that's a waste of a nice antique." Emily observed after taking a sip of the acid tasting coffee. "God… this stuff is horrible!"

"Forget the coffee for a minute. You're getting to be as bad as Reid."

Emily only looked in horror at her friend. "Don't lump me in with Mr. Five cups a day. I swear that man must have caffeine for blood."

JJ didn't say anything, just frowned down at the phone as though staring at it would make it ring and bring the man to them.

"Hey… I was only joking. What's bothering you?" Emily laid a hand on JJ's arm.

"It's nothing. I hate playing the waiting game with this guy!"

"I know… but I think Hotch is brilliant, and I'm sure his plan will work."

JJ looked up at her friend with cobalt eyes that were so sad these days. "I can't believe you're being so nonchalant about this. Aren't you scared?

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "Sure… but I'm not going to think about it. I'll do what I have to do to make sure that the women of this city are safe."

"I hope you're right."

Emily narrowed her eyes at her friend. "As much as I appreciate the concern, I think it's misplaced."

JJ began to play with the call sheet in front of her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"JJ… everyone knows you and Reid are a couple. Why are you trying to pretend that Hotch sending him back to Virginia doesn't bother you?"

"Emily… I don't know what you mean."

"I think you do… This is the first time Reid has gone off by himself since Georgia and you're terrified."

"Now isn't the time to talk about this." JJ insisted.

"Okay… but I think you should -"

"Agent Prentiss…" A very short, red haired police woman called out to Emily. "I've got someone on the phone that wants to talk to you. I think it's our guy.

CMCMCM

"Mrs. Warburton, is that you?"

"Yes dear… it appears that we both have gotten ourselves into a bit of a predicament."

Sondra laughed and then groaned. "Mrs. Warburton… I think you have a gift of understatement."

"That may be true dear, but how are we going to get out of here?"

"I don't even know where we are." Sondra said. "I only remember being in Dr. Lev's office the and nothing after that. My mother and my son… They're going to be so upset if I don't make it home on time…" Sondra groaned in pain and then fell silent.

"Sondra… Are you still awake?" Esther listened hard for a long time, but could only hear breathing from the nurse's side of the room. "Sondra… you need to stay awake. I think they may have hit you on the head… Sondra… Say something please."

"I'm awake…" the nurse said faintly. "I think you're right… they hit me pretty hard on the head. It really hurts."

"Tell me what to do for a head injury like that," Esther said firmly, still trying to wiggle her arms. Maybe her left one was moving a little?

She heard the click of Sondra swallowing and saw her turn her head in the low light of the room. "The patient might have a concussion so it's important to keep her talking and awake."

"Well that's easy. It smells like a basement in here, so I think we might be underground. What do you think Sondra?"

Sondra thought for a minute and then said in a weak and breathless voice. "Sleeping Pines was built on the original foundation and basement of an old manor house from the original settlement in Virginia. It burned down six years ago and no one seemed interested to rebuilding it. It was a historical landmark and arson was suspected, but no one really knows what happened."

"Well… that explains the lingering smell of smoke. It's faint, but I can smell it, can't you." Esther asked Sondra.

"Yes… I can smell it. So we're in the basement lab of Dr. Lev. Dr. Arlington has space down here too, but the rest of the basement is devoted to storage." Sondra was sounding drowsy and far away again.

"Sondra… Don't go to sleep on me." Esther wriggled her left arm again and felt it move again. The restraints weren't as tight as she first thought. No doubt that rude young man that lied to her at her home thought she wasn't a threat.

"Sondra… I need you to talk to me. Tell me about your family. Do you have any children?" Esther called out to the nurse.

"Yeah… I um… I have a son. He's six years old. He's so beautiful…" She said faintly.

"Stay with me Sondra…" Esther snapped out in her best - I am the teacher you will do as I say - voice.

"Okay… yeah… his name is Damien and he's in the first grade. He can read so well. He brings home all of his reading assignments and finishes them before going out to play."

"That's wonderful. I hope he has good teachers."

"Yeah… the school is the best one in the district, so I'm very lucky."

"Sondra… you're fading out on me again. I need you to stay awake." Esther said very sternly. She pulled on the left arm once more and it came free from the bonds. "Sondra… I'm getting loose from these restraints." Esther fingered the leather strap and found the buckle across her chest. Her damn arthritic fingers hurt from the dampness in the basement and her head was pounding.

"Sondra… Are you still with me?"

A faint voice came back to her. "Yes… Mrs. Warburton… I'm awake."

"Good… call me Esther."

"Okay Esther… Where's my son. I need to see Damian!"

"Sondra… you're in the basement of your employer. Do you remember?"

"What happened…? Why are we here?"

"I don't have time to explain." Esther sat up slowly after taking the strap off of her chest. "I'm free except for my feet." She reached down and opened the restraints on her feet and the leather strap flipped down to the floor with a thwack!

"Where are you?" Sondra asked in a terrified voice.

"I'm right here," Esther limped over to the gurney that held the nurse. "Stay awake… I have to see if the door is open. If it is I'm going to go get help."

She looked at the nurse and tried not to wince at the large lump on the top of her head. It was bleeding a little, but she knew that scalp wounds often looked worse then they really were.

"I'm going to see if the door is open." She repeated. "Stay with me, okay."

Sondra nodded, "I'll try…" She said groggily.

Esther patted her arm and turned to the door. The door was metal and looked pretty thick, but it opened on silent hinges as though it was new. It swung open slowly and she peered around the corner. The man that had grabbed them obviously didn't think that he needed security for a little old lady and a nurse. She limped around the corner and saw why.

CMCMCMCM

Reid deplaned and headed to his car. The drive from the air strip to Quantico was long and short at the same time. His hands were shaking on the steering wheel of the car. It was after midnight and it felt like he'd been awake for days. A ghost of a smile crossed his face at the thought of JJ and their midnight interlude that night before. Then he straightened up in his seat and pushed her out of his head.

Quantico was silent when he entered the office. He greeted the guards at the gate and then at the entrance to the Academy. The ride up to the sixth floor was very quick. He made a quick stop in the rest room and at his desk to leave his bag.

Garcia was in her office and seeing her there was like a balm for his troubles. "Hey Garcia…" He whispered.

"Why are you whispering baby boy?"

"I don't know. I guess because it's after midnight and I am on "hallowed ground," as it were." He quipped.

"Who knew you were so quick Dr. Reid." She turned around a looked at him very carefully. "Oh… look at you... Someone got lucky…" She sang.

She was wearing a black kimono with a red dragon embroidered on the back. Her hair was pulled up in a bun with two red and gold chopsticks. Her glasses and her lips matched her kimono.

Reid went crimson and ducked his head. "Garcia… I'm not here to dish… I need more info on this nursing home." He tried to say without whining.

"Fine… but I want to hear about it later. Now, get in here and let me tell you about the phone call I just received."