The door to their cell opened, and Hotch was pushed back into the room with them.
"Agents Morgan, and Prentiss,"called their abductor,"come with me."
"And if we don't,"Morgan challenged, while putting himself between the man at the door, and Henry.
"I can knock everyone out again,"he pretended to offer,"but I don't know if the boy can take it."
"Morgan,"Prentiss knocked him out of a mixture of anger and cold calculations,"let's just go."
"She's a smart one,"said the man prodding them along,"you know, my brother has a thing for brunettes."
"Your brother is a coward,"Morgan spat back,"just like you."
"Really, how do you figure?"
"You had to knock us all out when we were on the jet,"he answered," our tech analyst wasn't armed, and you still needed a weapon to subdue her. You had to take a little boy as calateral because you're weak."
"Watch your mouth,"his opponent said,"If you think my brother and I are weak, you should keep talking to test that theory."
"You don't want to do this,"Prentiss interjected,"you just want answers. You knocked us out because you don't want to hurt us. You sent your brother with a knife so our tech analyst wouldn't fight. You took the boy so you wouldn't have to hurt any of us, because no one is going fight you, when a little boy is at stake."
He looked amused,"so how does this work? He can do you at anytime, and you get to yank his leash?"
They were in the interrogation room. There were three chairs.
"I don't think I'll have to restrain you,"he said to Prentiss ,"but you're a little unpredictable,"he said to Morgan."
He shackled Morgan's hands to the table, and motioned for Prentiss to sit down next to him.
"What happened when you were informed of the case?"
Morgan, and Prentiss looked at each other nervously.
"Did JJ call you too?"Morgan asked.
"Yeah,"Prentiss said,"Why would Hotch need both of us?"
They went in at the same time, to see a sleep deprived Hotch sitting at his desk.
"Please sit down,"he said,"I need to ask a favor from you."
"Anything,"Morgan promised for both of them.
"I need you to investigate a possible homocide,"he told them,"just go interview the local police, and the family. If there is any reason for you to think this is anything other than a suicide, call me."
Morgan and Prentiss got their go bags and headed for Morgan's car. They knew that Hotch would never authorize a jet trip for two agents. When they got to the car, Prentiss started reading the file.
"Mary Lance was a twenty-three year old woman with a history of depression, and drug abuse. She attempted suicide a year ago, and now she works at a local strip club. She was found, dead in the woods. She had over dosed on the same pill she tried to kill herself with a year ago."
"What makes Hotch think it isn't a suicide?"
"Mary completely changed her life after her suicide attempt. She started looking for a job, she was saving money instead of blowing every paycheck, she was even working to get her bachelor's degree. This is a woman who is planning for the future," Prentiss said.
"So what causes a woman who never cared about herself to start preparing for the future, only to end her own life in the end?"
"Well," she answered," I guess that's for us to figure out."
When they got to the Precinct, they were both greeted by the sheriff.
"I hope you all aren't taking any time off from a real murder case to check into a suicide case, just because a grief stricken family member is calling fowl,"he sighed.
"What can you tell us about the victim?" Morgan asked, brushing that last comment aside.
"I grew up with her and her brother," his whole demeanor changed," she was a sweet girl, until she started hanging out with some not. Her brother didn't like it. He's been in denial the whole time."
