FBI Safe House – Evening

Morgan paced the small room; well more like he limped around the small windowless room. He was here for his protection but he felt more like a prisoner. He needed to talk to Hotch, Rossi, anyone who would tell him what in Hell was going on. Cruz had somehow orchestrated his "death" and he had been smuggled out of Potomac General and brought to this place. He wanted his clothes his phone and he wanted to go home. He was locked in the room with no information and no familiar faces. He was in pain and pissed off he wasn't sure if all of this was real or another conspiracy. His team may not even know he was there too much had happened and he wasn't sure who he could trust. One thing he knew for sure was that he had to get out of the small room and find a way to contact his team.

Cruz had one more task to complete before getting his family back. Tonight was it Cramer wanted results and there was no more stalling and no more failure. It had been over three months since he'd seen his family and he could only imagine what they had gone through in that time. He was tired of playing these games balancing both sides and feeling like a pawn in someone else's sick game of corruption and power.

Hotch, Rossi, JJ, Alex and Reid arrived at the Safe House anxious to see Morgan. They knew he'd be in a state about not knowing what was happening to and around him. He needed order and control and for the last several days his life was nothing but turmoil, confusion and powerlessness; not good for a man like Derek Morgan.

The door opened stopping Morgan's non-stop pacing around the room. The team stepped in and quickly closed the door behind them. He didn't see Penelope; he needed to see her, she was proof that he wasn't in some sort of nightmare. She was the confirmation that he could still trust those around him but she wasn't with them and his heart sank and for a brief moment he felt hopeless. But only for a moment; he was a survivor and he was still breathing and that was all he needed to put up a fight for his and his team's lives.

"Hotch! What the Hell is going on?"

"Morgan, sit down…"

"No, I need to know what's going on, man!"

Morgan rubbed both hands across his head fighting to calm his nerves watching his team watching and profiling him. He knew they were worried that he was nearing his breaking point so much had happened, maybe too much even for him.

"Just calm down and we'll bring you up to speed." Rossi interjected.

Morgan slowly dragged his ailing body back to the bed and sat on the edge under the concerned glances of his friends.

"For the past 24 months Senator Thomas Cramer has been under investigation. He's believed to be the leader of a covert group of domestic terrorists dedicated to eliminating targeted world leaders and then replacing them with those hand picked individuals that he and his group can control."

"Okay, so what does that have to do with, whatever is going on here?"

"Cramer sees us, this team as a threat to his operation. He knows that any high profile murder cases on U.S. soil will land in our hands."

"So what are you trying to tell me, that Cramer had Savannah killed, tried to kill me? It doesn't make sense!"

"What I'm saying is, the accident, Savannah, us being sent out of town so we couldn't protect you…all of it was orchestrated by Cramer."

Morgan felt as if the air had been knocked out of him. How could any of this be true? He'd dedicated most of his adult life to fighting crime with others that had also pledged an oath to do the same. Now they were fighting against each other.

JJ watched him process it all and she was worried about him. Even though the entire team had been the target he had been the one who'd suffered the most. He'd always been the strongest of all of them; they'd never seen him shed tears and he was never visibly shaken by what he saw on a day-to-day basis. But now, he was clearly shaken, clearly lost in his inability to fix things and the only one whom could make a difference for him right now was still back at the BAU.

"I need to get out of here."

"You can't this is the safest place for you until we catch Cramer." Reid said.

"Cramer is just one of many. Just because Cruz is supposedly on our side now, doesn't mean that Cramer doesn't have others out there."

"Yeah we know but let us handle it okay? You're still recovering and we need to make sure nothing else happens to prevent that." Alex added.

"I'm fine. Just give me a gun I can still take care of myself."

The team looked at each other with half-smiles. They knew he was right Morgan was a force even in his present condition but the priority now was to bring down Cramer and his network without more casualties on their team.

"Where's Garcia? If this son-of-a-bitch is after us then she's in danger too. Why didn't you bring her with you?"

"We need her searching for Cramer's cohorts. Don't worry we've got three agents protecting her."

"Considering we don't know who the enemy is, that doesn't make me feel better. I need to talk to her."

"Morgan, you know you can't make any calls out. Cramer's probably tracking our calls."

Morgan struggled to stand and began pacing again. He knew Hotch and the others were right but it didn't make him feel any better, not one little bit.

Cruz had arrived at the safe house shortly after Hotch and the others. Cramer had sent one of his men along to make sure Cruz didn't slip up again. FBI agents swarmed the grounds both inside and out. No one suspected him or his intentions. He was well aware of the security routines and he used this knowledge to get around the agents assigned to protect the BAU team.

As he and Cramer's man made their own rounds he planted small but powerful charges on each of the four outer corners of the house; each timer set for detonation in ten minutes. It gave him plenty of time to say his hello and make his exit. The other agents unfortunately would be collateral damage but in their line of work, everyone had sworn an oath to sacrifice their life if necessary. This was his last assignment for Cramer. After Hotch and the others were certified dead, he would get his family back…that was all that mattered…his wife and children home safely.

The door to Morgan's room opened and in walked Cruz. Morgan watched him remembering that less than three hours ago he'd pulled a gun on him ready to take his life. None seemed happy to see him but he was unphased by the frosty greeting.

8 minutes…

"Agent Morgan, good seeing you again." He began. "Sorry about earlier but there was no other way."

"Yeah."

Morgan continued to eye the man who seemed ready to leave already.

"I can't stay long I just wanted to stop by to make sure you were okay. No heart feelings I hope."

Morgan shook his head in disbelief and again sat on the bed. Hotch shot a knowing look at Cruz and the rest of the team.

"We have eight minutes. Cramer's man is outside the door. We've got to make this look good." Cruz whispered.

"What about the other agents? Hotch asked.

"I've given them instructions to do a sweep of the neighborhood because of a report of some suspicious activity on the next block."

"Good. This is risky enough. I don't want innocents getting hurt."

"Hotch, do you think this is going to work?" Rossi asked.

"It has to."

JJ, Alex and Reid began helping Morgan get ready. Time was ticking and they knew it would take time to move him in his injured state.

"You better get going." Hotch said to Cruz.

Nodding, Cruz headed out of the room.

Three minutes…

They needed to hurry.

Cruz sped away with Cramer's man in the car with him. This had to work everyone who meant anything to him lives' were depending on this.

Two minutes…one minute…30…20…10…9…8…7…6…5…4..3…2..1…

Then a large booming sound shook the car and in the rearview mirror he saw a bright orange light raging behind him in the distance. He glanced to his right and looked intently into the face of the young man who'd also been caught in Cramer's web. He wondered what his secret was that Cramer was using to control him. It didn't matter even though he felt bad for the young man. All that mattered was that he gave Cramer the news that the elite Behavior Analyst Unit was dead…history and he would give him his family and his freedom back.

Silently, Cruz headed toward the Federal Building, sirens and agents passing him going in the opposite direction toward the flames and the smell of explosives; sirens screeching, past him. It was almost over…he'd sold his soul to the devil the ultimate price…the only thing that truly made him human. Now what was really left he thought to himself? Redemption? No he'd gone too far to expect that. He'd betrayed his team, put their lives in jeopardy and an innocent woman had lost her life, one agent nearly killed because he had tried to play both sides. What side was he on now? He wasn't sure really he just wanted to get his family back safe. He needed a life that didn't require him to choose sides; he just wanted to wrap his arms around his family and hold them for dear life…was that too much to ask?

The first responders sifted through the rubble looking for signs of life. This was bad whatever it was totally leveled the small one-story house. No one could have survived the blast was too powerful. They could only hope that no one was home because if they were they'd no doubt soon find their remains.