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Chapter XV

It was 1:30 P.M. of an autumn afternoon. The sky was clear and the sun bathed the trees of the park in front of Strayer University with its rays. This park that was used to being the meeting point for many students, was uncharacteristically quiet and empty, as the surroundings of the university were closed to civilians on this particular day. Behind the yellow police crime scene tape, stood crews from all the TV networks covering the news of an elevator stuck with three people inside.

"We're reporting live from Strayer University waiting to receive more information on the FBI agent and the two civilians trapped in this ill-fated elevator. According to our sources, Agent Jennifer Jareau from the Behavioral Analysis Unit is on her way to give us the latest news regarding the fate of these three elevator hostages. For IKYdU news, I'm Ali Gray Gibson."

Just then, a hasty black SUV, with lights and sirens on, appeared from the corner with a black SWAT truck in its tail. Cameras recorded their every move.

The TV news reporters gathered together and started shouting questions at the blonde media liaison approaching them at a fast pace.

Elevator – Interior

Unaware of the frenzy taking place outside the four iron walls enclosing him, Dr. Spencer Reid sat with his eyes closed, back against the elevator's wall, and a million things flooding his mind. The cut on his head had finally stopped bleeding, leaving a trail of dry blood down his locks on one side of his head. Would he be spending his last minutes alive in there? Was it the end? He trusted his team, but every story had an ending and not every ending was a bed of roses.

A sighed at his side forced him to open his eyes. Wether he liked it or not, he had to remain calm. He was a trained FBI agent and for the sake of everyone in that enclose capsule, he needed to be the voice of reason.

"In less than 30 minutes, we're going to die, right?" asked Linda in a small voice, looking at her hands like a scared little girl.

Despite his pounding headache, Spencer shook his head no. "Don't worry, we'll make it. My team is working on getting us out."

"There's something I just don't get. What if we survive the next fall?" asked the smelly guy at Reid's other side.

"The bomb." Reid remained in silence, trying to find the best answer for that question, an answer that wouldn't smashed the hopes is these two young beings by his side.

"Will this mad man let us out of here or what?" continued Sebastian. His two eyes were focused on Reid. The young agent felt under the lights in an interrogation room. Rapidly weighing his options, he chose to tell them the whole truth. They deserved to know.

Reid took a deep breath and answered: "No." Forcing his eyes to look at the two pair of eyes staring at him, he continued: "There's a bomb in the elevator shaft. After the next fall" -and last- he thought to himself, "it's supposed to go off."

Linda covered her mouth with one of her hands, but a sob managed to escape her lips and tears drowned her eyes. She looked terrified and Reid's heart filled with sadness at the image. She was too young to die. They all were. He damned the moment he decided to take that elevator.

Unexpectedly, he heard Sebastian give a small laugh. Reid looked at him, hardly believing his ears. Upon deciding to tell them about the bomb, the FBI agent had actually been afraid of the guy's reaction. In fact, he was actually expecting something along the lines of a sentence full of the most illustrative R-rated curses ever heard or and anger fit, ending with his body as a punching bag to release the guy's fury, but no, Sebastian just laughed.

Although there was no amusement in his laugh.

Ignoring Reid's incredulous eyes, Mr. Malucci rested his back against the wall and closing his eyes, he said: "Who would have thoughts I'd die by the side of a G-man? Man, that's bad luck." Unconsciously, he embraced his previously dislocated shoulder with his other arm.

"We're not going to die" stated Spencer quietly.

"Oh really? And how do you know that?" Sebastian looked at Reid, making him feel uncomfortable.

The smelly guy was right. He didn't know it, but he felt that was the right thing to say at the moment, even if he didn't quite believe it himself. Despite the fact that he had something the other two elevator prisoners didn't have, confidence in his team, he seriously doubted they'd make it out alive. After all, they were not miracle workers.

As if sensing the discomfort inside the elevator, Reid's cell phone started ringing. Spencer looked at the displayed and breathed deeply.

"Saved by the bell" muttered Sebastian.

"Reid" answered the young genius.

"Hey, kid. How's it going?" asked Morgan on the other side of the line.

"Fine... bored" he answered. "Terrified" he thought.

"I hear you." Morgan paused and Reid heard different kind of noises on the other side.

"Just wanted to let you know that we're with the SWAT team right outside... We have the UNSUB. The rest of the team went after him. As soon as I hear Hotch has him, we'll get you out of there" explained Morgan.

They just had to wait for the rest of the team to take the UNSUB into custody to be released. But would they get to do it on time?

"Oh, ok. I guess we'll just have to keep waiting." Reid's voice sounded as deflated as a flat tire.

Noticing this, Morgan continued: "You do that and I'll see you in a couple of minutes and maybe we could go for a cup of sugar and coffee."

A slight smile appeared on the youngest BAU agent's face. "That would be good."

Morgan laughed: "Ok, kid. Got to go."

"OK." Spencer paused trying to decide what to say next. "Uhm.. Morgan?"

"Yeah, kid."

Reid sighed: "Thank you... for everything."

It took a couple of split seconds for Morgan to understand the real meaning of those words. Reid had given up the fight.

"Don't do that. You know... We'll get you out, Reid." Words filled with determination left Morgan's mouth.

"Yeah, but... You know." Reid had so many things in his mind, but couldn't put them into words. Was this the last time he'd ever talk to his friend?

Anyways, he didn't have time to add anything else, as Morgan answered: "I know, and like I said, we'll get all of you out of there. I promise" said Morgan. "Now, I have to go. I'll see you soon, kid."

"Yeah, good luck." Reid pressed the key to end the call. When doing it, he noticed his battery was dying.

"Great" he thought with sarcasm.

Linda's eyes were pleading to receive some good news. "So?"

The federal agent didn't want to give them too much information knowing that the UNSUB was also listening to their every word.

"They're working on getting us out" he vaguely answered.

"Well, I guess we'll find out if they did a good job in about..." Sebastian checked his watch "10 minutes." Then he put his earphones back on and lost himself in his loud music. "These could be his last 10 minutes on earth and he is willing to spend them listening to that" Reid pondered, but he'd learned different people coped differently with stress, even if two people were in the same context, they'd behave in their own way. And that was the case inside the elevator.

On the one hand, Sebastian Malucci retracted to himself. As a young man, he wanted to look like this wasn't affecting him, but Reid knew better. The young guy in black clothes was as terrified as the rest of them.

On the other hand, Linda looked desperate, unable to digest her horrific reality. The pain from her broken wrist had been forgotten in the realization that her life could get to an end in just a matter of minutes.

With a renewed wave of tears rolling down her eyes, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number.

Trying to give her space, even if not physical, Spencer rested his back on the wall and concentrated on a spot on the roof.

"Hi, mom" Linda whispered into the phone, her voice strained with tears. "I don't have too much time, but... I just wanted to tell you... you're the best mom in the world." Linda was sobbing and sniffling, unable to control herself. "I love you, ok?"

The desperation heard on the voice on the other side of the line was almost palpable.

Reid closed his eyes and gulped forcing himself not to let his own tears escape. However, one succeeded in trailing out the corner of his eye. Then he remembered something he heard in some movie JJ and Garcia forced him to watch. There, some British actor, he didn't remember his name, said that when the planes hit the Twin Towers, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. As Linda was doing, in their moment of despair, they thought about their loved ones, and Spencer realized he had a phone call to make.

He speed dialed the number, hoping his hone battery wouldn't die on him too soon. The phone ringed for a few seconds before he heard the well-known voice of the person answering on the other side of the line.

BAU Room

Penelope Garcia had to breathe deeply three times before she felt her heart was ready to answer the phone call. She had been listening to the conversation inside the elevator. And when she realized Reid was calling her, a weird sense of déjà vu sent shivers down her spine.

"Hi, Reid."

The technical analyst saw her friend looking straight at the camera, sensing she was watching him. Nothing could make her take her attention away from that screen.

"I could have used some of your witty remarks" said her junior G-man.

"Well, I guess I've run out of witticism for today. You'll have to wait until tomorrow" said Penelope in an unusually sad voice.

"Yeah" was all she got as a response. She mentally slapped herself for not being able to lift the young man's spirit. The blonde woman didn't have time to think of something, as the trapped FBI agent continued.

"Garcia, I need to ask you something" timidly said Reid. "Do you remember the message I asked you to record in the anthrax case... for my mom?" Silent tears rolled down Penelope's cheeks as she saw her friend lowering his head until his eyes were looking at his hand as if something really interesting was going on down there.

How could she forget that message? She remembered his broken voice saying: "Hi, mom. This is Spencer. I just really wanted you to know that I love you, and I need you to know that I spend every day of my life proud to be your son."

"Garcia?" The voice on the other side brought her back from her memories.

"Yes, honey, I remember" she answered, swallowing tear after tear, although she knew Reid could easily notice her crying.

"Do you still have it?"

She had thought of erasing it, in a futile attempt to forget that day, but instead, she had moved it to a folder in her computer, a folder that contained many other things she wanted to forget concerning her team.

"I have it, yes."

She heard him sighed. "Good." After some silent seconds, Reid explained: "My battery is dangerously low and I don't know if I'll have enough time to talk to her... or if she'll be lucid enough to understand my words." Spencer cleared his voice, fighting against the huge lump in his throat.

"If anything happens, you know what to do." He finished.

"Spencer Reid, listen to me" said Garcia in a mom-like voice. "Come on, look at me... or well, at the camera." The young man raised his eyes to face at the camera, not sure what to expect.

"You may be a magician, but our unit chief and the rest of the team are like Yoda and the Force on steroids. They'll find a way to take you out."

At this, Spencer gave the camera a broad smile, full of emotions.

"That's it, honey. Never lose that smile or your hope."

Then she heard the blonde girl by Reid's side saying in a sob: "Oh God, we have one minute."

Elevator – Interior

"It's over" added Sebastian, still keeping his eyes closed.

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die" Linda kept repeating to herself, rocking her body back and forth. Reid had been so focused on his conversation with Garcia that he hadn't noticed when the girl ended her own phone call.

The FBI agent looked up at the camera and then at his sides, trying to figure out the best way to deal with this. In less than a minute, he could be closing his eyes for eternity.

"We should prepare for the next fall" he said calmly. A calmness that didn't match his inner turmoil.

"What's the point?" asked Sebastian giving up all hopes.

"Just grab the handrail... Please." Reid was exhausted. He didn't feel like arguing again.

"I don't want to die" Linda recited once and again in a scared voice while grabbing the handrail with her good hand.

30 seconds

"Penelope" said Spencer to the woman at Quantico. "Would you stay in the line with me?" he asked with a tiny voice like a sick child asking his mother to be by his side.

"Of course, baby." By now, Reid could hear the tears in the analyst's voice.

He licked his lips: "I guess the Force is not on our side today after all."

"You'll make it. I'm here with you."

10 seconds

"I hope so. Thank you... you know." Reid's heart felt heavy with unspoken emotions. He'd never been good at talking about his feelings, after years of bottling them up. "Tell that to the others." As his hands, his voice was shacking.

"You'll be fine." Garcia tried to comfort him.

BAU Room

Garcia received no answer. "Reid."

Nothing.

"Reid?"

Desperation grew inside her.

Elevator – Interior

"Garcia?" Silence.

"Hello?" Reid's cell phone battery had just died.

He closed his eyes, trying to ignore Linda's sobs, and grabbed the handrail for dear life.

His elevator journey was about to end.

He heard three terrifying beeps and his body felt the force of the last fall taking him down.

Oh my God! What have I done?

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