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A/n hey all... Here's the next chapter. Once again thank you all for your feedback and comments.

The Black Queen

"Wow…"

Angie smirked at Reid, who turned in slow circle to take in the Riva Restaurant and Bar located on the second floor of the Venetian Hotel. "This is beautiful!"

"I've been in here so many times… I don't really see it anymore." She said, leading him to the host station.

They followed a young woman with blonde hair pulled back in a jaunty ponytail the swung back and forth, as she walked. She led them through a room with Buddha statues perched above tables, red and black dragons cavorting on the gold painted walls and a huge fountain in the middle of the room.

"If you decide to eat just let me know." Their hostess said, looking at Reid and ignoring Angie as if she didn't exist.

"Just drinks for now." Angie put her arm through Reid's and pulled him away from the perky little blonde.

"Whatever!"

They took seats at the end of the bar. "So what do you want?" Angie asked running one of her fingertips up his arm.

"Just a beer please."

"So polite," the bartender said to Reid as he approached them. "Are you sure you can handle Angie. She's a wildcat." He winked at the prostitute who pouted back at him.

"Give me a Venetian Bellini, Rex."

The bartender swiped at the spotless counter with an equally spotless white silk cloth. "Watch out," he addressed Reid. "She's on the prowl."

"I think I can handle it." Reid said.

"Sure you can." Rex smirked.

"Go away Rex, we're trying to have a conversation."

"I know you honey and conversation ain't what you're interested in with this one."

She ignored Rex and faced Reid. "So… Tell me about yourself Dr. Reid, other than the obvious special agent stuff."

"Could you not mention that?" Reid said, blushing furiously.

"No one's listening except for Rex and he's more interested in your body than what you do for a living."

Reid choked on the beer and began to cough. "Really?"

"How can a profiler that chases murderers be so naïve and innocent?" She asked moving even closer to him so that he could smell the cinnamon and musk of her perfume.

"I don't usually go to clubs." He squeaked.

"What do you do on your time off? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No!"

"A wife?"

"No!"

"Well good," she smiled. "Not that it makes much difference in my line of work."

"Actually…" Reid began with a squeak. He cleared his throat, "The percentage of married men that make use of prostitutes is much lower than most people think."

"You know…" She said, not at all offended. "You're right about that. It rather surprises me. Of course, a lot of men take off their rings when they leave their homes."

"True, there're professions like plumbing that require a man not wear a ring because of the risk of injury to themselves."

"Do you know everything?" Angie asked as she rubbed her little finger around the edge of the glass.

"No!"

Damn the squeak!

"You sure sound like you do."

He swallowed down half his beer, trying to ignore her fingers on his arm and Rex staring at him from the other end of the bar.

A soft tune he recognized as Sade, singing about love as a taboo, began to play. Several people got up and began to slow dance. Angie finished her drink. "Why don't we go up to your room?"

"Oh… Um, I don't think that's a good idea." He managed to say without squeaking.

"Don't you like me?" She pouted.

"Maybe he don't swing that way sugar." Rex suddenly interrupted with his cleaning cloth and a big smile for Reid.

"Sure he does," Angie said confidently. "I know when a man desires me. I'm a professional after all."

"Why don't we just ask him?"

They both stared at Reid along with another woman sitting at the bar with a half-drunk Mimosa in front of her.

"Actually… Men tend to be static in their sexual orientation. Women are more fluid in their sexuality. They don't have as much trouble engaging in relationships with either sex. A study conducted at UCLA determined that some men -"

"What are you, some kind of walking Encyclopedia?" The strange woman interrupted around her drink.

"Who asked you?" Rex asked irritably.

"Come on!" Angie yanked on Reid's arm. "Let's get out of here before you start a riot."

She led him out of the restaurant and into the closest elevator. "Do you always just say whatever comes into your mind?" She asked as she hit the button for the fourteenth floor.

Reid went pink in the cheeks. "Yeah…"

"It's a good thing I think you're cute." She cuddled up to his side and put her hand on his crotch.

"Angie! We're in an elevator"

"Don't be so shy baby… Your friend wants to come out and play." Her tongue licked at his left ear as the elevator car rose between the tenth and eleventh floors.

"Angie!"

"We've got all night if you want you handsome thing."

The elevator finally reached the right floor. She pulled him out by his tie. He let her lead him down the hallway to his room.

"Angie!" He breathed as she fumbled the key card out of his pants pocket and into the door lock while nuzzling at his neck. "Stop… Please, I can't do this now."

"Sure you can!"

He pushed her away with some reluctance. "I don't have time for this. I need a clear head."

"There's no rule that says you get engage the services of a hooker in Vegas…" She said licking her lips as she winked at him. "Even the feds need a little distraction now and then."

"Not while I'm on the job. I'm not on my own time Angie. I have to stay focused."

He pushed her away from him. "You're very nice but I really have to get back to work. Thank you for the drink and the break."

He peeled her hands with long scarlet nails from his arm. "Here's my card. If you ever need anything, call me."

He pulled the key card out of the reader and entered his suite. "I'm sorry." He said over his shoulder and shut the door in her face.

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The yellow headlights from a solitary car lit the still form of Detective Hyde who lay in the middle of the lonely gravel road. They also illuminated the form of a man standing over him. Another set of footsteps approached the car. The first man turned and greeted the second man. They picked up the body of the detective and carried him to another car.

The first man opened the trunk of the car and they bundled the detective inside. The car sped off into the inky blackness of the night leaving the headlights of the Detectives car burning into the desolate stretches of the desert.

The light poured down from the square of floor over William Reid's head. He looked up, squinting against the glare of it. The same voice had been taunting him on and off, for what seemed like days.

"Hello William!"

"You're using my first name." William croaked. "Does that mean were best friends now?"

"Sarcastic to the end."

William's heart began to thump in his chest. Had his death come at last? Tears began to form in his eyes.

"Is that a bit of real emotion Billy-boy?"

"Shut up!"

"I'm not here to kill you, at least, not yet anyway. I'm just here to tell you that your son is proving to be much more amusing than you are."

"What have you done to him?"

"Oh… he's just fine and he'll stay that way as long as you do as you're told."

"I don't know what you want."

"Mr. Parker wants his files back."

William shuddered as if a strong cold wind had whipped through the small dark underground room. Mason Parker wouldn't let him live if he gave up his only advantage. Spencer was smart enough to figure out the key to the files William had kept encrypted in his computer. He could find them and use them and everything would be okay.

"I'm not telling you anything." He whispered through parched lips.

Sweat poured off his face and down his back as he tried again to stand up and make a grab for the light over his head. Whoever had built this place had left at least a foot above his head to the ceiling of the room. He tried to leap up to the blurry face in front of him. A face he recognized now.

The other man began to chuckle at William Reid's struggles. "Sit down and think about your predicament Mr. Reid. Mr. Parker won't wait on you forever."

The face left William's sight and so did the light. He dropped back to the floor and pulled his legs up under his chin. There had to be some way to bargain his way out of here so he could end this and maybe make things right with his son.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Reid's phone buzzed impatiently on the small beside table. He groaned, rolled over and picked it up.

"Reid."

"You sound like you were sleeping."

"I was Garcia. We hit some dead ends." He yawned trying to get the fuzzy - you just woke me up at an ungodly hour of the night feeling - out of his brain.

"I've hit some dead ends too. Your dad has some wicked security on his computer. I can't break in without a password and figuring that out will be impossible as I can only get it wrong twice with this program. I need you to help me."

"Garcia… It's after three in the morning. Don't you ever sleep?"

"It's after six am here, sweet cheeks. I'm an early riser."

"May I please go back to sleep."

"You sound really irritated baby. What happened?"

"Nothing…"

"Well… I can't give you anything to help you out with your search if you don't help me with a password."

Reid switched on the light and grabbed his robe. He got up and went into the living area of his room. He sat down on one of the enormous sofas and yawned again.

"What makes you think I have any idea about my father's passwords?"

"Because you know him even if you don't want to admit it."

He pushed a hand through his bangs and sighed. "I have to think about Garcia. I can't just come up with something out of the blue."

"Why not? You always come through for us."

"I know that Garcia. I don't need the pressure!"

"Alright… I'll keep trying to find a way around the security."

"Thanks Garcia."

"You're welcome sweet cheeks. Call me when you think of something."

He sat back in his seat and groaned. The clock on the DVD player read 3:17 am. His eyelids wanted to close again. He was so tired. If he could just get some rest then maybe his muddled brain could focus on trying to figure out the password for his father's computer.

A knock came at his door startling him into wakefulness as his eyes had been closing again. He went to the door and opened it to find Rossi, and two Nevada State Troopers.

"Detective Hyde is missing." Rossi said.