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a/n here's the next chapter kiddies. Please enjoy

Bad News

Shane paced up and down his tiny and unbearably shabby motel room. His television buzzed with snow across the middle of the color picture and no amount of adjusting seemed to help. The sound of the television in the room to his right and the sound of vigorous sex in the room to his left, also intruded into his thoughts.

He smiled a little at the thought of that little ball of sunshine hidden away from Danny Messer forever. He'd led them on a wild goose chase that much was true. Still there was truth hidden in all the clues, if only they could see it. He smiled again, they weren't smart enough to figure it out, at least not until he'd got what he wanted from Danny Messer.

The news returned to the screen and he raised the volume. It was finally time for an update on the case.

"Lacey… What can you tell us regarding the Lucy Messer kidnapping case?"

"We don't have anything new Thorne. The detectives remain in their home, refusing any contact with the press."

"Thank you Lacey…" The impossibly blonde newscaster with the bluest eyes Shane had ever seen spoke seriously into the camera. "We have an expert in hostage negotiation with us, former FBI Hostage Rescue Team captain, Franklin Rose. Mr. Rose… Isn't it unusual for the family of a kidnapped child to remain silent? We see pleas for the safe return of family members all the time.

The large man, with a full head of jet-black hair and dark eyes, looked soberly at the camera on a split screen with Thorne.

"No Thorne… I'm sure the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit assigned to this case, as well as the NYPD has a strategy behind keeping the Messers quiet."

The camera zoomed in on Thorne again, looking very grave and concerned. "Our sources tell us that Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner is leading this investigation with Detective Mac Taylor. Isn't it true that Agent Hotchner himself was a victim of one of the most vicious serial killers this part of the country as seen since the Son of Sam? Do you think Agent Hotchner is the best man to lead this investigation given that his wife was killed by the man known as the Reaper?"

"I know of Agent Aaron Hotchner. He's always been one to do things his own way. He's lost two members of his team in the last four years." Rose stated to the obvious delight of Thorne. "The official word was that these two agents left of their own volition, but the unofficial word is that one of them, a woman, left after only one year due to a shooting deemed righteous by the bureau, but left Agent Hotchner suspicious of her mental stability. The second to leave was an agent that survived over thirty years in the bureau, but was also targeted by a serial killer that killed his lover."

Thorne frowned for the studio and the audience. "But don't you think that unofficial word." He made quoted with his hands, "should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm sure that Agent Hotchner is a fine agent."

Rose pursed his lips and Casey couldn't decide if the man was trying not to laugh. "I only know that the team he heads is supposed to be one of the best in the world. That's the official line anyway. The facts are that he came here with a former computer hacker hired by the bureau because they couldn't stop her from wreaking havoc with her computer. The other member of the team Aaron brought is a certified genius hired by the bureau when he was only twenty-one. The rumor is that he's always been given special treatment by the FBI because of his so called amazing mental abilities."

"You're speaking of Dr. Spencer Reid," Thorne said.

"Yes… There is some question about his mental stability as his mother resides in a sanitarium in Las Vegas."

Thorne smiled so that all of his perfectly capped, white teeth sparkled to the camera. He looked like Christmas had come early.

"You're saying that the FBI hired a man with a history of mental illness." He asked with glee.

Rose frowned at the camera. "I don't know, I'm just saying that his mother is mentally ill. The FBI has stringent guideline and tests one must pass before working in the field. If the FBI doctors have deemed him fit, it's not my place to challenge it."

"Of course…" Thorne went on happily, but without a smile. "Are you saying that the advice the BAU gives the NYPD and the Messers could be suspect?"

"No… I'm sure that they have the best of intentions." Rose said.

"Well… That's all we have time for, up next we have -"

Shane pointed his remote at the battered television and cut Thorne off mid sentence. The FBI had told the Messers to stay out of sight in the hopes of pissing him off. Well it had worked. He was pissed off big time. Perhaps it was time to take it to the next level.

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Lindsay snapped off the television. How could the news people say such things about people that were trying to help them? She hadn't met Dr. Reid or their computer expert, but she was sure they would be as nice as Agent Hotchner had turned out to be. She was just glad that Danny had decided to take a shower during the broadcast. He'd want to bust some heads had he heard what the jackass Thorne had to say.

The doorbell rang just as she was getting up to go to bed. The hour was getting very late so she couldn't imagine who could be ringing the doorbell.

The people on the other side of the door surprised her almost as much as the newscast had angered here. "Hey Flack… What are you doing here?"

He stood there with two large police officers that she recognized from One Police Plaza. "I came to talk at ya Lindsay. We got some bad news."

She swayed on her feet, feeling the world go gray and then black as she fell. Someone grabbed her from behind, but she couldn't hear the voice that called out to her. Oh God… A deep, bone chilling cold settled in around her heart. It had to be Lucy. They'd found out something terrible… She couldn't think. The blackness reached up to claim her before she heard what Flack had to say.

Something wet rubbed at her face. She opened her eyes to see a very concerned Danny and a very unhappy looking Flack standing over her. This was it, she thought as unbearable pain sent tears cascading over her face.

"Danny…" She wailed reaching up for him.

"Hey Montana…. It's okay… It's going to be alright."

"How can you say that when our baby is -"

She just couldn't make her mouth form the words. Her head ached and her stomach thumped and rolled. Dizziness made the world go up and down like a ship on the high seas.

"Take it easy Montana. They haven't found Lucy yet." Danny glared up at Flack.

"I'm sorry Lindsay. I didn't think about what I was sayin." He looked a bit like a whipped dog so she decided to cut him a break.

She let Danny help her up to a sitting position on their couch. "So what's your bad news?"

"What I meant to say," he began with a much-chastised smile, "Is that Mac believes that Casey might come after you next."

Lindsay felt her heart race as she turned to look at Danny who looked like someone had punched him hard in the gut. "Let him come," she said despite the gut wrenching, knee quivering fear that took up residence in her heart. "I'm not afraid of him. He can't hurt me anymore then he already has." She sniffed as more tears dropped from under her eyelashes.

"Don't say that baby," Danny wrapped her up in his arms. "I've lost Lucy; I can't bear the thought of losing you too."

She wrapped her arms around him and gave into the tears and sobs she'd been holding back ever since that terrible night. He rocked her as he sometimes rocked Lucy when she'd had a particularly rough night and couldn't sleep. "It's gonna be okay Montana. We're gonna find her and then we'll be a family again."

"How do you know?" She sobbed. "I tried so hard to believe in us and Mac and the others. I don't know how much more I can take on faith." She sniffled.

"Linds," he softly pushed back her hair. "You never gave up on me, even when I pushed you away. I will not let you give up on me or on our family." He whispered hoarsely.

"This is really romantic and all, but we need to get goin." Flack interrupted in an irritated tone.

"Nice…" Danny reached up and smacked his friend hard and the leg. "I'm in the middle of somethin important here."

"I know that, but Mac wants you both in the safe house right now." Flack reminded him.

"Wait," Lindsay pushed her husband away. "I'm not going anywhere. This is my home and I will not be chased away from it by Shane Casey or anyone else." She stood up and got in Flack's face, which was a feat, considering the difference in height between them. "Do you hear me?" She shouted.

"Come on Montana… Mac is right. We have to keep you safe."

She whirled around to take her anger out on her husband. "Why are you saying that?"

Danny explained what Flack had told him after she fainted. She listened without speaking until he finished. "So you're saying that some man told Mac that Shane Casey will kill me and make Danny watch. How can we trust him?"

Danny looked over at his friend. "Lindsay is right… Why should we believe him?"

Flack decided to look at his officers rather than at his friends. "The man wasn't just a suspect. He's a well know pedophile. He took a picture of Lucy and gave it to Shane Casey to leave with a DB."

"What kind of picture?" Lucy asked as she clutched close to Danny.

"I don't think that's a good idea Lindsay. Mac told me -"

She pulled out of Danny's arms and stepped back into Flack's face again. "I don't care what Mac told you not to tell us." She said as calmly as she could. "Do you want to be on his bad side, or mine?"

Flack gulped and glanced at Danny for help. Danny grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me. I can't help you pal."

"Thank you very much," Flack growled.

He told them all about the true nature of the photograph and everything that had happened in the interrogation room.

"Son of a bitch," Danny shouted. "I'll kill them both for this."

Flack grabbed his arm and the two large officers moved in front of him. "Don't make me put you in cuffs." He warned his friend.

"You couldn't even if you tried." Danny shot back.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lindsay insisted. "I'll deal with Mac if I have to."

"Fine, you call him and tell him. I'm out of this," Flack held up his hands.

"You are such a coward," Danny laughed.

"Not nice Messer, that's not nice at all." Flack said as the officers began to laugh behind him. "You guys shut up." He ordered but they ignored him.

"I'm calling Mac," Lindsay said. "I want to know exactly what's going on."