Hello, my darlings!! So I'm super glad that you all liked last chapter. I'm really sorry if some of you suffered from PCSD, or post cliffie stress disorder, after last chapter, but here's the update! So you don't have to wait any longer.

Thank you all for your reviews! You've made my week!

DISCLAIMER: The usual thing. Nothing has changed.

ENJOY!!!

Chapter VII

Minutes before in the bullpen

SSA Aaron Hotchner gathered the SWAT team along with the rest of his team except Garcia, JJ and, of course, Dr. Reid.

"People, please, pay attention. Our suspect's name is Jonathan Sturz. SSA Prentiss will hand you his picture." At that point, Emily started giving out a picture of Mr. Sturz.

"SSA Morgan and SSA Prentiss will be in charge of taking him in."

Then, David Rossi continued giving them a description if the possible UNSUB. Until they heard Garcia's desperate screams.

"Morgan! Hotch! Help! He's killing Reid!"

It took Morgan a split of a second to cover the stairs up to the BAU room, where Garcia was frantically screaming. Upon his arrival, he watched with incredulous eyes an image that would be engraved in his mind for eternity.

"What the hell?!"

He then heard a gasp and an "Oh my God". Emily was right behind him, covering her mouth.

A the unit chief, SSA Hotchner, in a matter of seconds, saw what was happening inside the elevator, swallowed his anger and fear and ran to the phone to talk to the attacker and try to stop the madness displayed on the screen.

"How did that start?" He heard Rossi asked. The explanation could wait. The most important thing now was to order Sebastian to let go of his agent.

"Sebastian Malucci, stop that now! You're assaulting an FBI agent!"

He got no answer, no change was perceived. Sebastian kept yanking, shaking and choking Reid, who tried again to fight back, but failed miserably.

"If you don't stop now, I'll make sure you spend years in a Federal prison!"

Everything remained the same. He heard angry noises behind him. He knew Morgan was right there, furious as hell. He knew that his subordinate had one thought in mind, shooting the bastard that was attacking his friend.

But then, he saw as the other person in the elevator carefully got to her backpack and took a can from it.

Linda stood on trembling legs and getting her hand, armed with the can, close to Sebastian's face, she sprayed CS gas.

At the same time the smelly guy let go of Reid's throat, staggering backwards, cursing and rubbing his eyes, the young doctor fell to his knees coughing and gasping for air.

"Stay in that corner or I'll spray it again in your face, you son of a bitch!" yelled Linda, still aiming at Sebastian. "Are you OK?"

Reid nodded, but couldn't stop coughing, his air deprived body trying to absorb as much oxygen as possible. He swallowed with difficulty and, with eyes closed, sat down, resting his back against the wall.

Then he heard: "Mr. Malucci, stay right where you are. Do not move! Reid, phone!"

Spencer opened his eyes, trying to focus them, and started looking for his phone.

"Here." Linda had one hand pointing the can at Sebastian and the other one at him.

"Oh, thank you" he said with a rasping voice and taking his phone from his hand. The phone started ringing. Now that his eyes were focused he didn't dare miss any movement from his attacker. He'd be on guard this time. Anything could be expected from the smelly guy.

"Yeah."

"Reid, how are you?" worriedly asked Hotch.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy right now. But I'll be fine." He answered with difficulty and coughing in between sentences.

"Just stay calm. Try not to talk to Sebastian and everything will be fine. We have a lead. This will be over soon." Hotch tried to comfort his friend.

Reid wondered if his superior had made up the part of having a lead to make him feel better or if it was really true. But he knew he couldn't ask. He was not working this case, as much as he hated it; he was the victim this time.

Hotch continued asking: "How's the cut on your head?"

"Cut? What cut?" thought Spencer. Involuntarily his hand went up and his fingers touched the wounded area. "Oh, right." "It's fine, the blood has dried up."

"Reid, man, where's your gun?" Farther that Hotch's voice, he heard Morgan asking.

"I left it in the car." He answered and looking at his attacker, he whispered, "I didn't know I would be needing it in here."

"Ok, Reid, just be patient. This will be over soon." Then Hotchner ended the conversation, leaving the doctor to his thoughts.

"Garcia, what happened?" The unit chief demanded to know.

"They were just talking and this guy kept trying to push Reid to the limit, asking him about the case and our work. Then he wanted Reid to profile him. At the beginning, Reid said no, but when Sebastian yelled at Linda, Reid started profiling him. And then, he just snapped! I tried to make him stop, but he wouldn't listen!" Penelope was shaking at the memory of the scene that had unfolded right in front of her. Morgan got to her side and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"It's OK, baby. It's over." Morgan was biting his words to try to calm down, his mind fighting against all the things he wanted to do to that Sebastian Malucci.

"We'll stay here to check on Reid. Morgan, Prentiss, you need to go" said Hotch.

"Right. Let's go, Morgan." Prentiss was already leaving the room.

"Be careful" uttered Rossi to his colleagues.

11:40 AM

The media liaison, Jennifer Jareau, returned to the BAU headquarters after handling the media. She had everything under control and felt confident when it came to press conferences and reporters. Unfortunately, she didn't have that same confidence when she had to face the fact that her friend was trapped in a mad nightmare.

Hotch looked up from the papers on the table in front of him. "How did it go?"

"Everything is taken care of. He hadn't contacted the media" answered JJ.

"He's not doing this for the media. He's doing this for us" said Rossi, considering the situation.

"How's everything in there? Any news?" asked JJ, sitting beside Garcia, who was working on her computer.

The technical analyst looked at her friend and started retelling the previous incident in the elevator.

"Oh, JJ, it was so horrible! That mean guy grabbed Spencer." JJ frowned when she heard her boss interrupting the telling of the incident.

"Garcia, please, focus on the case now" ordered Hotch. He didn't want his subordinates to keep thinking about the situation inside that capsule. They couldn't let that incident cloud over their minds. They had to keep their heads as far away from their emotions as possible. They would have time to deal with this Sebastian guy later. He would make sure he pays for attacking his agent.

11:48 AM

"Where is Morgan and Prentiss?" asked JJ, looking around the room.

"We have a possible suspect. They went to his house" answered Rossi.

At that same second, they heard a knock on the door. They saw Agent Anderson standing there.

"He's in line 2."

Hotch breathed deeply and prepared himself to talk to the UNSUB again.

"This is Agent Hotchner."

"So that was fun" said the UNSUB with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I don't know what you mean." Hotch was playing dumb to try to trick the man.

"You do know, agent. Your boy in there is lucky to be alive, but I'm glad he is indeed alive. Now, I can kill him and I swear I will enjoy it."

Garcia swallowed with difficulty. She didn't believe in guns, but if she had the chance to stand in front of this guy, she'd pull the trigger without hesitation. Or she could smack him on the head with the hardest laptop available.

"It's amazing what desperate people would do in desperate situations" continued the UNSUB.

"That's why you're doing this? Are you desperate about something? Maybe an accident involving your family?" asked Hotch, playing a card he hoped would work.

"Are you trying to get information about me, agent?" Delapsus Sum asked back. "It doesn't matter if you think you've found me. You'll never catch me." The determination in his voice made Hotch's blood run cold.

Garcia got a pen and started to furiously write down on a pink paper. And then she held the paper in front of Hotch.

HE'S CALLING FROM THE ADDRESS I GAVE PRENTISS

HE IS JONATHAN STURZ!

Hotch's brain started working at high speed, recalling the information they already had on this guy.

"We will catch you, Mr. Sturz."

A creepy guffaw was heard on the other side of the line.

"Finally! I thought you feds would find me sooner. But I guess you're as useless as police. So... have you already sent your friends for me? I'm waiting for them. I hope they like my explosive surprise." And just like that, the line went dead.

"What? What did he say?" Desperation bathed Garcia's words.

"Call Morgan now!" ordered Hotch.

Rossi was already on the phone.

"Rossi, we're already in front of the house" said Morgan as soon as he answered.

"Get out of there! It's a trap!" yelled Rossi, his words stumbling one onto the other.

Then, they heard a hellishly loud explosion that made the BAU team members in that room stop breathing.

"The phone's dead" uttered Rossi with a nervous voice.

"Call again!" desperately ordered the unit chief.

"Emily is not answering either" said JJ with her phone in her hand.

"Hotch?" whispered Garcia with tears in her eyes.

SSA Hotchner looked at her with a question in his eyes. "What had happened?" He couldn't lose his agents. He had to keep it together, although inside he was falling to pieces.

"It's 12 pm" whispered Penelope.

And then, as Rossi and JJ kept on their attempt to contact their friends, Hotch and Garcia watched as the elevator, holding Reid as hostage, started its way down once again.

Bloodcurdling screams rang out all around.

Breath...

Oops! Thanks for reading!!! It's always a pleasure to read your reactions! See you soon.