Chapter 5

Garcia somehow found herself back in the main laboratory, precisely where she didn't want to be. She shuddered as she walked past the now shut 'Deep Freeze', her shoes clicking on the floor and echoing eerily around the room. Her eyes were drawn to a television set in the wall and she gasped at the image. Doctor Furter had Reid pressed up rather intimately against the wall. Her heart fluttered in trepidation as she remembered the same creep in her bedroom not long since, but the anxiety didn't last long as Morgan burst into the room.

Now Garcia let herself smile and whispered, "My hero." Her eyes tracked back to the irked looking Furter and she gave a small noise of surprise. "He went as himself, not Morgan." She shook her head. "Bad move."

She was wrenched from watching the show by a small whimper nearby. Her stomach clenched as she brandished the pepper spray in front of her.

"Who's there?" Her voice quavered slightly and she swallowed hard, trying to steady it. The sheet in the birthing tank moved and she swung her arm in that direction, trying not to tremble. If it were that creepy Riff Raff she was going to kick him where it would really hurt and then run like hell in the opposite direction.

The sheet moved again and slipped slightly to the side revealing the small, frightened face of Rocky. He whimpered again and cowered. The pepper spray went away in an instant.

"Oh, you poor thing," she cooed. "Come out, I won't hurt you." She approached cautiously, like he were a scared puppy, and he emerged cautiously from his hiding place. "Oh! You're hurt!" She noticed the scratches on his hand, made by some animal, and what looked like chaff marks from chains around his wrists. "Let me help you."

Morgan and Reid followed Furter through the corridors of the house. At some point they had come across Riff Raff who had been grabbed and was now being shoved mercilessly ahead of Frank as the master of the house berated his servant loudly for letting his creation escape, and more quietly over what Morgan suspected as being the matter of one the guests having a gun. That gun he still held securely in his hand, although now down at his side.

They reached the main laboratory, which appeared empty and Furter turned back to them with an ingratiating smirk.

"Looks like I can't help you gentlemen. Penelope isn't here."

The intonation on her name was all it took for Morgan to take three paces forward and put the gun in Frank's face.

"Here is how it's going to work," he said slowly and dangerously. "You are going to find Garcia in one piece and unharmed. She is going to join us and then we are going to leave without any further problems. Are we clear?"

Doctor Furter smiled silkily. "Of course Agent." His eyes jumped to a television screen set in the wall and he gave a yelp of surprise at the image. Reid's eyes followed Furter's and he too gave a small gasp.

"Gideon!"

"What?" Morgan lowered the weapon and stared at the screen as well.

Frank's face transformed instantly to one of narrowed eyes, and a dangerous lilt to his voice.

"What do you know of Gideon, Doctor Reid?"

Spencer was still bewitched by the image on the screen and didn't pick up on the tension.

"Gideon was on our team..."

"Enough Reid," Morgan cut him off but the damage had been done.

"How very interesting..." Furter breathed, "...maybe we should invite him up."

They watched on screen as Gideon looked around nonchalantly and the door in front of him swung open.

"Why don't you come on up Agent Gideon?" Frank spoke into some sort of speaker system that echoed down to where Gideon stood. "I have some people here who would love to see you." The ex-agent looked directly into the camera and frowned but stepped through the doorway.

The wait was tense. Nobody said anything. Morgan kept his eyes on Furter, gun still in his hand but no longer pointing threateningly. Reid was lost in his own thoughts, still staring at the now empty screen. Everyone forgot about the elusive Riff Raff who had taken the opportunity to sidle to the edge of the room and position himself next to a giant lever.

The main doors at the top of the balcony swung open and Gideon strolled in, pausing in the entrance, his eyebrows lifting in surprise at the other guests.

"Gideon," Reid whispered with emotion.

"Morgan? Reid?" Gideon's own voice was disbelieving.

None of the trained agents noticed Furter gesture to Riff Raff, who wrenched down the lever he had been standing by.

"What the...?" Morgan exclaimed as the gun was wrenched out of his hands and slammed into the giant magnet, swiftly followed by a second clang, that of Gideon's weapon.

"Now gentlemen," Frank breathed huskily, "that's a little bit more even, don't you agree?"

The two current and one former agent cast each other looks that clearly communicated the dangerous situation that they were in.

"Now," Doctor Furter continued, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Agent Gideon?" His voice sounded polite but there was a clear undertone of malevolence.

Gideon stood calmly at the top of the balcony, his eyes drifting between the agents that stood there, lingering the longest on Spencer, before again moving back to Doctor Furter.

"I'm here looking for Eddie."

Reid gasped and opened his mouth but was silenced by a solid hand dropping onto his shoulder. He looked quizzically at Morgan who lightly shook his head and glanced warningly over Reid's shoulder. The Doctor didn't need to turn around to feel Furter's gaze burning his back and he nodded in understanding to Morgan. They were weapon-less and in an extremely dangerous situation with a volatile unsub. They had to be careful.

"What do you know about Eddie, Agent Gideon?" Frank's tone was light and enquiring but Reid could hear the warning.

"Eddie is my nephew."

Reid felt his heart give a nasty lurch of shock and his throat dry up.

"This does not look good," a different voice muttered and they spun around to see Garcia standing between the curtains in the opening of the bedchamber, one hand clasped to her mouth as she realised she'd spoken out loud, the other holding the hand of Rocky.

"Rocky!"

"Garcia!"

Doctor Furter's tone was furious, Morgan's was just shocked. Frightened by Frank's tone Penelope took a step back and squeezed Rocky's hand harder. In response the creature took a step in front of her.

"Rocky!" Frank exclaimed again.

Morgan cast his eyes quickly over the scene and applied common sense, now the initial shock had worn off. He saw the maniacal glint of envy in their host's eyes and took several steps to his colleague, effectively getting between her and the murderer.

"Baby girl, what is going on?"

Garcia took a few steps forward into the hall, gently bringing Rocky with her.

"He was hurt," she said quietly and gestured to his now bandaged hands. "I wrapped them up." She met Frank 's murderous gaze over Morgan's shoulder and felt anger swell inside her. "Someone hurt him." She looked back at Morgan and then at the bedroom. "We heard people coming and hid. We didn't..." she pulled a face and Morgan got the gist.

"Okay, I believe you," he jerked his head in Furter's direction, "good luck convincing him."

Garcia saw the expression on the scientist's face and she shuddered, before a different figure caught her eye.

"Is that Gideon?" she gasped.

"Yeah," Morgan murmured back and drew her closer to himself and Reid. Gideon descended slowly from the balcony, Reid never taking his eyes off his former mentor, as though he would vanish again.

Garcia looked across at her distracted friend and lowered her voice.

"Reid you have lipstick on your..." she tapped her own lightly and with a bright flush the agent ran a hand across his mouth just as Gideon joined them.

"Isn't this nice?" the former agent smiled as he joined them, his manner seemingly relaxed. "What's the plan now then Doctor Furter?"

Their host finally tore his eyes from burning holes in Garcia and onto the most recent guest. His lips stretched into a smile that was all teeth.

The menacing silence that followed was broken by an announcement from Magenta at the main doors.

"Dinner is served!"