A/N: This chapter is kind of short, as I am having trouble deciding in which direction to take this story. So, I have established a poll and hope you readers will help with this decision. Please take the time to vote. The winning choice will be the direction I will use for this story. Thanks.

Chapter 11

He could feel Hotch's struggle as he continued pressing down on the pillow covering the agent's face. Soon, he thought, very soon it would all be over and his competition would be gone.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice shouted from behind him. He turned to see Daria Hunt standing just inside the doorway glaring at him. Quickly closing the door, she marched directly towards the bed, shoving aside the man and tossing the pillow on the floor. Grabbing her stethoscope from a nearby table, she checked Hotch's vitals and slowly breathed a sigh of relief to find his heart, though beating a bit fast, was beginning to slow down and return to it's normal rhythm. She lifted one eyelid and then the other before turning angrily at the man standing before her. "You're damn lucky he's still alive and will seemingly be all right. What the hell were you thinking?"

"What was I thinking?" the man hissed grabbing Daria's arm so tightly she yelped. "I was thinking how much you desire and want him for yourself! That's what I was thinking."

Daria tried unsuccessfully to free her arm from the vise-like grip on it. She chuckled nervously. "You are delusional as usual. I don't desire him. But I'm not blind, either. Yes, he's attractive, but I'm not in love with him. You have to believe that!"

The man jerked her arm and saw the woman grimace. "Why should I believe you? Tell me why, bitch! I've seen how you fawn all over him."

"I haven't time to tell you anything right now," Daria explained. "The FBI are due here soon to question me. What do you think will happen if they decide to look around and discover him dead? Hmm? All of us here will be in trouble; Jack, Ron, me, and anybody else they decide is guilty. You kill him and they won't stop until they find you. Or did you even stop to think about any of that?"

Daria could feel the tight grip on her arm lessening until she could pull away and rub the spot where she had been grabbed. She was glad she was wearing long sleeves because she was positive there would be bruises where she'd been grabbed. She rotated her arm and winced a bit. "I suggest you go and return to your duties while I meet with the FBI. As soon as I'm done with them I have to meet with Jack and my husband at home to discuss what our next step will be in the experiment. But before I go, let me warn you of one thing. I won't tell Jack what you nearly did. But should Agent Hotchner not be alive tomorrow morning you will be facing Jack's wrath, and you don't want that believe me because it will not be pleasant to say the least. Now, if you'll excuse me." She turned abruptly and walked towards the door. As her hand gripped the knob, she suddenly paused and looked back with a small smile.

"I just thought of something you can do for me to distract the FBI just in case they start looking around."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked suspiciously. He listened as Daria explained what she wanted done. Reluctantly he agreed to do it. "But you'll have to hurry. They could be here any moment."

"It'll be done," he said as she turned and opened the door but stopped again when she heard her name called. Annoyed, she turned to look over her shoulder.

"What is it now?" she asked tersely.

"When will I see you alone later? I need to see you."

Daria sighed tiredly. "I will find you after the FBI leave," she said. "I promise. But now I really have to go."

After watching the woman leave, the man glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious man on the bed and snickered. "You're lucky," he said. "You got a reprieve for now. But I promise you, if I discover Daria has lied to me about you, I will kill you." He then grabbed the wheelchair and rolled it over to the bed.

Morgan pulled the car into the parking lot of the hospital and turned off the engine before removing the keys and pocketing them. He was glad he had parked away from the front so he could observe the front doors without being seen himself. He turned to Reid who was in the front passenger seat.

"Remember Reid, conduct your interview of Daria Hunt then get out of there. I'll be seated right here watching the front door the entire time. As soon as I see you leave with Hunt's daughter-in-law, I'll wait five minutes, then go inside and pretend like I'm meeting with you to question Daria and instead look around and see if I can find this Adam Hefner's room and get a look at him."

Reid nodded. "You can't miss it. His name is taped on the door. I'll try and keep her occupied as long as I can." Opening the door, Reid slowly exited the vehicle, then, he leaned over and looked at Morgan. "If it turns out to be Hotch, don't stop to tell me," he said seriously. "Just get him and yourself out of there safely."

"Reid, I hope you're not asking me to…"

"I'm not asking, Morgan, I'm telling. If Hotch is in there get him and yourself out of there. I'll be all right." Without giving Morgan a chance to respond, Reid shut the door, turned quickly, and walked in the direction of the hospital with Morgan's eyes watching him as he soon disappeared up the steps and inside the hospital. Mumbling a few choice swear words under his breath, Morgan slammed the palm of his hand down hard on the steering wheel. He watched his friend walk up to the nurses' station, and a few minutes later he saw a woman he assumed to be Daria Hunt approach Reid, shake his hand, and gestured for him to follow her down the hall until they were both out of sight. Then, with a sigh, Morgan sat back to wait.

The wait seemed to take forever as Morgan was not known to be a patient person by any means. But finally, when he figured sufficient time had passed, the agent got out of the vehicle and jogged toward and up the front steps of the hospital and inside. Taking a minute to slow down his breathing, Morgan then headed straight to the nurses' station and turned on his most charming smile which was returned by the brunette who watched him approach. He noticed her look him up and down approvingly before letting her brown eyes finally settle on his handsome face. He pulled out and held up his credentials for her to see.

"I'm Agent Morgan with the FBI. I came with an Agent Reid to question Doctor Hunt's daughter-in-law, but I had to park the car while he came inside a few minutes ago. Can you tell me where her office is?" He tucked his credentials away.

"Was this Agent Reid a tall, thin guy with long brown hair. Looks more like a college preppie?" the nurse asked with arched eyebrows.

Morgan chuckled but maintained the smile. "That's him."

"Her office is on the third floor, office number is 310. You can't miss it."

"Thank you." Morgan started to walk away but suddenly stopped. "Just one more thing. Can you tell me how to get to the third floor?" He gave the woman a wide smile and saw her smile coyly back at him in return.

"Sure. Just go straight down the hall and around the corner. You'll see a bank of elevators."

"Thank you," Morgan said before turning the corner and disappearing down the hall. He had gone a few steps when he saw the room across from him with the name Adam Hefner written in block letters taped to the door and paused. Looking both ways first, Morgan grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it, finding the door unlocked. He again checked both ways before opening the door and stood in the doorway looking inside, staring at the dark-haired man lying on the bed with his head turned away from him and facing the opposite wall.

Morgan swallowed the building lump in his throat as his eyes began to burn. "Hotch," he uttered softly as he took a step forward.