Once back at the office, I went to the bathroom to check my phone. I had thirteen missed calls from Jack. Five years ago this would have had me panic, but right now it just made me mad.

I deleted the call log not even bothering to listen to the voicemails and made my way to where everyone else was. I pulled up a seat and sat next to Hotch. Everyone was watching the television screen. A man sat at a desk, and Hotch noticed he walked funny.

"Looks like he's injured or something."

The mans face wasn't visible, but his silhouette was bulky and uneven. His voice was even more worse for wear.

"I assure you... You'll all understand in the end why it must be this way. You might even thank me."

"Don't hold your breath, scumbag," Elle scoffed.

I glanced at her, her attitude had been odd all day. I chalked up her remarks earlier to being tired, but now I couldn't help but think she might not be handling the job well. She had been here longer than me, but before me she had been the newest addition to the team.

"You now know you're on a quest. A young girl's life depends on the successful completion of it."

The camera cuts to a young woman in what looks like a dungeon. She's angry and throws things at the door. The door with bars on the window.

"As you can see, she's quite beautiful... And in distress. Now please listen closely, for there is only one rule, and this rule must be followed. The one rule is... Only the members of your team may participate in the quest. Jason Gideon," then a photo of Gideon and Hotch flashed across the screen," Aaron Hotchner," a close up of Hotch, "Derek Morgan, Elle Greenway, Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia and last but not least, Elise Flynn,"

"A quest must be completed in the proper way or it isn't a quest, is it? That's it. One rule. Simple. Now, you will be receiving an item soon that will hold the final clue you'll need to finish the quest. You will find you will also need a book which has inspired many an adventure like mine. Believe me when I tell you, I truly hope to see you all soon."

"It will be a successful end to this adventure... For all of us." The video cuts out leaving us all in awkward silence.

Already angry and tired, Elle speaks first. "This guy's got pictures of us?"

"What do we do now?" Reid asked, concerned.

"The lock of hair's being analyzed for DNA. There might be something on file," Hotch said, all we could do was wait for that to come back and for the next clue to show up.

JJ went to get the video enhanced and Hotch instructed us to get the clues up on the board.

"Wait, we're going to play this guys game?" Elle asked.

"We don't have much of a choice, Elle," I said.

Behind us Gideon walked out and Hotch followed; we all looked at each other, worried.

"Is it me or has he been acting funny all day?" I asked Derek, who nodded in agreement.

"I think we're all tired," he said.

I stood up. "I'll write everything on the board. Butterfly, key, baseball card, an Edgar Allen Poe poem," I scribbled quickly, "anything else?" I asked, turning to the group.

Hotch came rushing in throwing a piece of paper onto the table, "this was delivered to my house," he said quickly leaving again.

"I just had to say something..."

We taped the paper to the board. It was just a bunch of numbers. We weren't even talking at this point, we were just staring at the paper, everyone's eyes heavy.

"I'll go get us coffee. We're too sluggish to process this," I said and I heard a murmur of thanks as I left the room. My trip to the kitchen wasn't long, but by the time I got back they had already figured out the name of the girl and that the numbers spelled out a certain sentence and word in a book.

I handed everyone their coffees, and Derek and Elle drank theirs quickly, while Reid just held his, his mind too occupied with trying to figure this out that he forgot his coffee.

"The answer's gotta be up there somewhere," Elle mumbled.

"JJ," Gideon's voice cut through the room, "get some reporters here as soon as possible,"

"For what?"

"Just say we need help on a new case." Gideon went as fast as he came.

"Press conference?"

"Isn't that breaking the only rule we have?" I asked sipping my coffee.

Within the hour JJ was was on tv with a sketch of the man that came to Hotch's house. The press conference was broadcast publicly.

The momentum of the day seemed to come to a halt and I left the room, my eyes growing heavy. I had gotten more sleep than Derek and Elle, but I think the stress and fast pace of the day was wearing on me. In my desk I kept mints or chewy candy to help when I stayed late to work on reports. As I rummaged through my drawer, I heard Hotch tell Agent Anderson to take Elle home.

"I'll take her, Hotch," I said walking over to them.

"I want you here, helping,"

"You've got Reid up there and I don't think we're going to figure it out any time soon, at least let me follow in her car so someone else doesn't have to later. It'll be quick."

He sighed and nodded his head, and Elle handed me her keys.

I parked next to Anderson and followed them inside. Elle seemed ready to collapse. I went and placed her keys on the hook in her kitchen and when I came back Anderson was gone.

"Where'd he go?" I asked Elle.

"I don't know," she mumbled taking her shoes off.

"I'll be right back." I ran out of the house to see he was already gone. Did he not understand he was supposed to stay?

"He left. I'll stay until Hotch sends him back," I told her.

She nodded.

"Elle are you alright? You almost bit my head off back there at the crime scene."

She glanced up at me. "Sorry about that, when I get tired I get cranky."

"It's ok, just get some rest," I told her. Getting the feeling I was going to be here for a while, I took my badge and wallet out and placed it on the bookshelf, then went to lock her door, but my phone buzzed again. "It's probably Hotch, I'll take this outside so I don't wake you."

I stepped outside just beyond the front door and flipped open my phone. It was an unknown number and my blood ran cold.

"Jack? Stop calling me! If I didn't answer the first thirteen times why do you think calling me from an unknown number is any better?" Angry, I held the phone tightly waiting to hear his horrible excuse, but nothing came from the other end.

"Hello?"

"I had one rule." The voice from the tape answered back; a distinct echo could be heard, and I spun around to see a man dressed in black with a low hat obscuring his face, aim a gun at Elle and fire.

I dropped the phone and reached for my gun, but he turned to me firing, the bullets piercing the glass as it shattered around me.