A/N Sorry for the delay. A slightly shorter chapter this time. It felt like the best place to end it though.

Avenger of Blood
Chapter 6
Reid's Sacrifice

"The greatest gift a man can offer is his life for a friend." ANON

Reid looked miserably at the smashed phone. It had broken when it hit the floor; the bullet put paid to any remote chance that it was still transmitting.

'You made a big mistake there.' the man said, advancing on Aaron.

'Don't touch him, please, do it to me. It was my fault.' Reid said frantically.

'So you know him?' the man said. 'I thought you said you were a security guard.'

'I lied. I am an FBI agent. This man is important to me. I would give my life for him.'

The man turned the gun back towards Reid.

'Is that why you are here? To try to protect this man?'

'Yes.' Reid answered. The man looked at him curiously.

'So your life is cheap?' he asked, not understanding.

'I don't want to die.' Reid said. 'But if it came to a choice, I would rather die than see him die.'

'A noble sentiment.' the man said. 'I started off not caring if I should live or die, but now I want to live. And I would kill you both to achieve that end.'

'No one has died yet. You are not wanted for murder. Give yourself up. That way you live and it will go better with you in court.'

The man suddenly turned on Reid. beating him down with the butt of the gun.

'Shut up. you lied to me. Now I will kill you for it.'

Reid raised his hands above his head in an attempt to ward of the blows. Most of them got through though. He crouched on the floor and put his arms protectively around his head.

As suddenly as the attack began, it stopped. Reid looked up to see the man attacking Aaron. That he couldn't cope with. The man's back was turned to Reid. He was obviously losing it. Again and again he smashed the gun butt down onto Aaron's head and face. He was making no protective moves, in fact he wasn't moving atall. Reid saw a chance to overpower the man. He leaped onto the men's back and wrapped his arm around his neck as he tried to stop him. He caught hold of the man's wrist and turned the gun inwards towards him. The gun discharged, and the two men fell. The bullet traversed the man's body, and entered into Reid's. Reid clutched at his stomach. He had managed to shoot himself as well as the UnSub. He knew that he was probably going to die if he didn't get help straight away.

Reid dragged himself away from the man's body, towards Aaron. He saw blood pouring from a head wound, and he felt sure the man had killed him.

'Aaron....' he gasped, his hand pressing down on his stomach, blood welling up between his fingers. 'Aaron, please,..... say something....'

Aaron didn't move.

-0-0-0-

'Reid's phone was active for just a few seconds.' Garcia said. 'I got a rough fix, but it wasn't on long enough for me to get an exact location. I'm sorry.'

'Send us what you have.' Morgan said. 'It's a lead at least.'

Seconds later the information was on his PDA.

'I have somewhere to look.' he told the police officer who was with him. They had set up a temporary evidence room in a Portacabin in the schoolyard. The children had all been sent home. A map of the area lay on a table between them. Morgan compared his information from Garcia with the map, and drew a circle encompassing an area outside town.

'The phone signal came from somewhere in this area. Do you know what's there? We are looking for somewhere our bomber could be hiding. He has two hostages.'

'There are several old factories there, and an unfinished housing estate.' he said. 'Here and here.' The police officer marked the map.

Morgan drew his side arm and checked it. 'I'll do this alone.' he said. 'I'll call for back up if I need it.'

'I don't think so, Agent Morgan. I'm coming with you.'

Morgan smiled gratefully at the officer. 'Ok.'

-0-0-0-

The two of them drove first to the industrial estate. None of the factories were in use any more, and the land was waiting for re-development. The economic climate had put a lot of developers and builders out of business, and there wasn't enough money to continue the work. The result was many half finished buildings. It was a depressing sight.

We'll look for the car first. It has to be somewhere around here.'

As they were preparing to get out of the car, Morgan's phone rang again. It was Garcia.

'I've had a look at the satellite images for that area we looked at.' she said, 'And I think I have found something interesting.'

'Go ahead, Princess.'

'There is a car parked around the back of the unfinished houses.' she said. 'It's the right make and model for the one that got carjacked.'

'Send me the co ordinates, Baby Girl, and thank you.' he turned to his partner. 'I think we have him.'

They drove close to the vehicle, but stopped a hundred yards from it. There was no need to alert the bomber. They left their car, and crept over to the abandoned vehicle. Morgan felt his stomach twist when he saw the blood on the back seat. It had pooled and clotted on the fabric, and was still wet.

'This is definitely the car.' he said, checking the licence plate.

They covered the ground between the car and the closest building, noting gravitational drops of blood and footprints leading the way to what would someday be the back door of someone's house. They took a stance at either side of the doorway.

-0-0-0-

Reid gently lifted Aaron's head onto his lap. He wasn't sure if he was dead or not, but he loosened the belt around his leg to let some blood through. Aaron moved and groaned in pain as the blood flowed briefly. Both wounds began to bleed again. It re assured Reid, knowing that Aaron's heart was still pumping.

'Aaron, we're safe........ He's dead.' Reid gasped. His stomach wound was agony and his head and shoulders hurt where the man had beaten him. He felt light headed and sick. But Aaron was his priority. He had to get some help if they were to live, but he didn't know how he was going to do it. There was a car outside he could use, but his stomach wound stopped him from doing anything. He took Aaron's hand and grasped it. If they were going to die here, they would do so together. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Aaron's, their blood mixing, their hair touching. He wrapped his arms around his friend and passed out.

-0-0-0-

Morgan saw the dead UnSub first, lying in a pool of blood just inside the door. Reid and Hotch were huddled together at the opposite side of the room. Morgan ran to their side, calling to his partner to call the paramedics. He felt for a pulse on both of his colleagues, and was relived when both were still living. But there was too much blood. Aaron was soaked in blood from the hips down. His face was smashed and his hair was bloody. and Reid had blood streams down his face and neck, and he was holding a stomach wound, black blood welling between his pale fingers.

'Reid, It's Morgan. You are going to be fine now, just stay awake for me.'

'Shot..... myself....... ' Reid said softly, one hand reaching for Morgan's. Morgan noticed that Reid's hand was covered with blood.

'It's ok Kid.' he said, taking his hand. 'The paramedics are on their way.'

Morgan's partner quickly checked the UnSub to ensure he was dead. He had been shot at an angle from his upper chest to the exit wound half way down his back. He was definitely dead and posed no further threat.

He looked up at Morgan. 'Where are those paramedics?'

-0-0-0-

Emily smiled across at JJ as Dave's eyes opened slowly. He had been on the very edge of consciousness for a while, but that last battle to open his eyes had been hard. He turned his head to Emily.

'Aaron...... ' was all he said.

'Morgan had a lead. He's following it up now. Welcome back, Sir.'

JJ left to tell the nurse that her patient was awake.

'You?' he said softly.

I'm fine.' Emily said. 'And so is JJ and Morgan. Reid is with Hotch. Morgan's gone to bring them in.'

Rossi relaxed back down in the bed. He wouldn't feel happy until Aaron was back. It wasn't easy to leave it up to Morgan. He trusted him with his life, but trusting him with Aaron's life was different somehow.

-0-0-0-

The paramedics separated Reid and Hotch. It was difficult to see the damage with so much blood, so they loaded the two men onto gurneys, and carried them out into the daylight. They removed the belt on Aaron's thigh and cut away his trousers. The two holes in his thigh were clearly visible now. They pressed a bandage against the wounds and loaded him into the ambulance.

Reid's stomach wound was pumping dark thick blood. He was quickly loaded into the ambulance beside Hotch. There was no room for Morgan and his partner to ride with their colleagues so they followed in the car.

So they didn't witness the fight to bring Reid back when he arrested on the way to hospital. And the effort to stop Aaron from bleeding to death.

Morgan arrived at the same time as the ambulance, and he ran into the ER with the gurneys.

'You have to save these men!' he said to the attending. 'They are important to a lot of people, including each other,'

The nurses pushed between Morgan and the injured men. 'We will do what we can.'' they said, and pushed the two men through transparent double doors into resus.

Morgan was left standing on one side of the door as they closed. He stood watching through the doors.

The police officer, whose name Morgan didn't even know, stood behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

'We can't do anything for them now. It's up to them in there, and they are the best.'

Morgan turned to him. 'I know. Thank you.'