Criminal Minds 1. A Plan

Topic: Criminal Minds

Title: Revenge

Rating: T

Summary: A group of terrorists infiltrate the FBI building in Quantico and attack the BAU. As the group tries to recover and cope, they are faced with challenge after challenge and the reality that another attack may be imminent. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is a trademark of CBS and I do not own it or any characters in it.

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The crisp autumn breeze made the air bite at Kyle's bare skin as he walked along the leave covered sidewalk. The coat that he had bought didn't do much good against the harsh wind of Washington D.C. He was coming back from a small hardware store where he bought some of the final touches for their plan. He was anxious to get in the house, both to get warm and to get out of the way of any surveillance that was currently on him. He and his associates had checked many times and were almost sure that no one was surveilling them but one was never to be too careful. That's how people died, or worse, were captured. Their mission was difficult enough without people poking around their business.

At 23 years of age, he had grown up a Christian but after a Burglary charge and a brief stint in prison, Radical Islam had begun to stand out to him. It targeted the people that had given up on him and showed great promise and growth in the coming years. Kyle's real name was Kyle Kramer but he had since changed it to Abu al Khayr. He had stayed in touch with some of his mentors from prison and was soon in touch with the small, tight-knit group of radical Muslims around the D.C. area. This directive had come straight from Afghanistan to Kyle and the other higher ups in the D.C. area. They had had a discreet meeting in the back of a supermarket and it was decided that Kyle would be the one to lead a team of martyrs against a cornerstone of the U.S. government. It was said that the targets of their attack had caused the demise and death of one of the premier bomb makers and intercepted a bomb that was designed to cripple New York City. This angered Kyle greatly. After hearing rumors of what was to take place in New York and when he heard of its failure, he wanted to know who was to blame. As soon as this directive came through, Kyle jumped at the chance to enact revenge. He now was almost prepared to strike, causing a knot to form in his stomach, something that probably wouldn't leave him until he arrived in Paradise.

Kyle moved up the leave-covered stoop, opened the door to the house, hopped inside, and then quickly shut it before any of the warm air could get out. The heat from the house enveloped Kyle and took away the chill from his bones. He had spent the greater portion of the last twelve months in this little house with his associates or acquiring supplies for their mission. It had become like a home to him but he'd be leaving it very soon. Although the two level house had ten grown men living inside of it, it had stayed remarkably clean. Kyle smiled at this, as it was an example of the extreme discipline that these men had. They wouldn't fail at their mission unless Allah himself intervened, which, Kyle knew, would not happen. He took off his coat and hung it on the rack near the door. He then crossed through a small hallway and entered into the small, relatively comfortable living room. Where a TV and paintings should have been, there were dozens of maps, lists, and charts. None of this would matter soon as someone from another small cell was ordered to clean out and burn the house when they left. He rang a small bell in the living room, a signal for all his men to gather. This would be their final briefing. They were to strike during the next morning and he wanted his men to have the chance to mentally prepare themselves.

The men filed in and started to sit on the floor like children preparing to hear a story. Kyle enjoyed this because the idea of him leading this team started to sink in. It was an enormous amount of responsibility but he felt that he could handle it. Allah was on his side and the bevvy of men before him were well trained and disciplined. It was his time to leave a permanent mark on America.

Kyle cleared his throat one last time before starting. "Men, we have come a long way but the end of our journey is near. This will be our final briefing before our mighty strike at the United States. After this is finished I'd like you to eat a small dinner and say your prayers. Then, try to get some sleep so you are as sharp as possible tomorrow. I've put all of my faith into you and I know Allah has as well. Allahu Akbar." "Allahu Akbar," Kyle's men chanted back in unison. "You have all come a long way in both your skill and your discipline. The men who gave us our mission have prayed furiously for the success of our effort and I know that you will not disappoint. I've been told that I'm not supposed to share this information but I have absolute faith in you all." Kyle watched as each of his men leaned forward in anticipation. It's not like any of them could leak this information anyway and building trust before something as important as this was imminent. "These infidels foiled an ingenious plan that was to take place in New York City last year that would have crippled the entire city and we have been chosen to enact revenge for their stupidity." The men smiled at this. Kyle knew that he had them all. They were going to martyr themselves willingly without question, something that Kyle had believed in since day one. Now that he knew that he could trust those behind him, he could go into the dirty specifics of their mission. He'd given them locations, room layouts, and various other pieces of information about their mission. He was sure that they had all put it together but he wanted to layout the whole mission one last time, just to be safe and to hammer it into everyone's head one last time.

"We are going to be going after something called the Behavioral Analysis Unit. It is a division of the FBI, the organization that has put so many of our brothers down. Last year, as I said, they foiled one of the biggest terrorist attacks that we have ever concocted. The actual team consists of six members with countless support staff. Lucky for us they all gather in one bullpen, making them very easy targets. This is how I'd like to precede. We'll climb into the SUV's that we have commandeered and head to the FBI building in Quantico. We've outfitted both SUV's with lights and sirens, making them identical to any FBI vehicle. I've also gotten all of the supplies necessary. We will go in our full tactical uniforms with all of the possible body armor and everyone is to keep their helmets and goggles on, except the drivers. We will be outfitted with many standard issue weapons of the FBI. Four of us will carry M4-A1 Carbine Rifles. Another four will be carrying some HK MP5's. The last two will be carrying two will be carrying the Matte Black 870 Express Pistol Grip Shotguns. Everyone will also be carrying a knife and a backup Glock 17. There is also one more piece to our uniforms, which will be under our bulletproof vests. We will all wear a C4 vest. You are to keep shooting until you are incapacitated and then you are to detonate your vest and enter into Paradise." Kyle watched his men for any sign of fear or uncertainty. When he saw none, he had to keep himself from smiling.

"I will review your shooting scores for each weapon from the past month and you will get your weapon assignments in the morning, before we head out. After we get through the gate of the building, we will look very calm and non-challant on our way in. The men in Afghanistan asked that we try to kill as many FBI agents as we possibly while we are in there. I have prayed for guidance on this for many hours and I have come to the conclusion that we will split up. I have faith in Allah that five men can complete our primary objective while the other five hunt down as many agents as possible. You will get your team assignments in the morning as well. Whoever is on the hunting team will have freedom to roam wherever they want to do the most damage. The only rule is that you look as non-challant and calm as possible until you hear the BAU team fire. We don't want to give the members of the BAU any advantage so keep your fingers off the trigger. The team that will be infiltrating the BAU has different rules of engagement, however. You are not to leave the bullpen of the BAU under any circumstances, unless all members of the BAU are dead. One man will wait at the door while the other four will engage all targets in the bullpen." Kyle could see each man making careful mental notes and absorbing everything he said.

"You have a few hours to look at the maps and memorize every detail of the plan. After that I'd like you to eat and go pray for a successful mission and for your glorious entrance into Paradise. We will depart tomorrow at 1600 hours. Does anyone have any questions before I go pray? If you have any, now is the time." Kyle looked at each man and finally a man named John Carlson spoke up. "Sir, I want to thank you for all of your guidance and intelligence. This mission had no chance of success without you. Now we will strike a great blow to the infidels and your name shall live forever as you watch in Paradise." Kyle smiled at John. He had always been the most promising of his men and now he knew for sure whom he'd choose to lead the other team. "I would have never been able to do it without you all. You have put countless hours into this and soon you will experience the fruits of your labor in Paradise," Kyle said to his men as they all smiled at him. "Allahu Akbar," Kyle said and his men once again chanted "Allahu Akbar."

Kyle dismissed his men one last time and then ascended the dark stairs to his small room with only a mattress, fast food wrappers, and pages upon pages of information. He had received a room to himself because of all of the information that he had to sort through. He now had total faith in his men and a plan that would stand up to intense scrutiny. John was right; his name would live forever as he watched from Paradise. He now had a few final hours of work to do before he'd say his prayers and extinguish the dank bulb that lit up the small empty room that he slept in. He had to pick the best shooters for the best weapons and divide the teams evenly. He would lead the team that would attack the BAU and John would lead the hunting team. He stacked up all of the information that he was done with in the corner, that way whoever came to clean up could get in and out as quickly as possible. He picked up the disposable cell phone from the floor. He had to make one last contact before he started the rest of his work and carried out the mission. He dialed a number and quickly hung up. He then did the exact same thing again. This was the signal that he was ready and that his team was prepared to go on schedule. He then shut the phone off, dropped on the floor, and smashed it with his foot. The infidels would have no way to track him now. The mission was less than 12 hours away and the knot in his stomach was getting tighter and tighter. He knew, however, that they would put an unparalelled fear into America's law enforcement community. "Allahu Akbar," he thought out loud, smiling to himself....

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can...)(Thanks for reading...)


	2. A Normal Morning

Chapter 2: A Normal Morning

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The sun glared through the window as Hotch stared at the file in front of him, his eyes going in and out of focus for the third time in the past 10 minutes. He was riddled with fatigue and needed a vacation more than anything in the world. Coffee wouldn't do the job anymore and he had been basically sleeping at the BAU. He was caught up on all of his paperwork and had all of his files up to date, something that you could almost never find in the office of a Unit Chief. Ever since Hailey had been forced into hiding, he'd been so depressed that everything else was put on the backburner and doing work was the only thing that could keep his mind off of it. After she had left him, he'd done the same thing but he had gradually gotten better, sleeping at his apartment almost every night and only working about 10 hour days. Since she'd been transferred into protective custody, however, he'd fallen right back into his usual pattern of working 12-14 hour days and even sleeping at the BAU for a few days every week. They'd just gotten back from a case and he was almost happy that he now had some more paperwork to do. He was taking a lot of the load off of JJ, though, something that he was happy to do since he knew that she had a kid to go home to every night now. His team meant everything to him now, and he was happy to make any of their lives easier. Reminded of his team, he looked out his window into the bullpen and saw the assistants bustle around and his team preparing themselves for their reviews. Hotch was required to do reviews on each member of his team every year. This was something he enjoyed to do, as he rarely had something bad to say and this year he was even happier because it would give him more paperwork to do.

He shut the file that he had in front of him and got up. Making sure his suit looked fine, he adjusted his gun and made his way to the door. He opened it and stepped into the harsh fluorescent lights that illuminated the bullpen all day, every day. He walked over to Rossi's office to get him for his review. He was going to do them in order of seniority and Rossi was the first on the list. As he stepped up to Rossi's office door, he stayed back a bit and knocked as he'd been taught in the Academy. He then opened the door and stepped in. "Dave, you ready?" he said as Rossi looked up from the file he was going over. "Sure," Rossi said, getting up and walking to the door. He followed Hotch over to his office and got the school-age taunt from his co-workers. Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, and Garcia were all by Morgan's desk and they all gave him the "Oooooo...." as he walked by. "Someone's in trouble," Morgan added. Rossi couldn't help but smile and he thought he even saw Hotch smile a bit. "Don't think you're all off the hook. Morgan, your next," Hotch said with a slight smile as he stepped to the side and let Rossi head in before him.

"You're in trouble now," Prentiss said, turning back to Morgan and sitting back down in her chair. "Naaah, Hotch loves me, he'd never do anything," Morgan replied as he leaned up against his desk, getting a series of laughs all around. "So, Babygirl, what brings you out of the batcave," Morgan then said, turning to Garcia, who had a stack of files in her arms and a look of determination on her face. "Ok, first of all, it's not the batcave, it's my dungeon and I will torture all who enter, especially you," Garcia said, biting her finger and then touching Morgan on the nose. This got another series of giggles all around. "Your leg is finally better now right Reid, so you don't have to stay and annoy me on the next case," Garcia continued, now turning on Reid. "Well, in terms of it being healed, it is all right in the long term now but it'll be a few more years until the scar tissue is finally destroyed and it's permanently healed," Reid replied, motioning to his leg and trying to illustrate how the scar tissue would be destroyed. "Soooo, is that a yes?" Garcia asked, trying to decipher the Reid speak. "I'd just leave it alone before he starts trying to explain it in more detail," Prentiss said, causing everyone, even Reid, to laugh again.

Back in Hotch's office, him and Rossi were getting ready to conclude his review. "So Dave, in summary, you're doing a great job as usual but I have one more question for you," Hotch said, watching Rossi nod back. "As a whole, and as individuals, what do you honestly think of the team?" Hotch asked, awaiting Rossi's answer. "Honestly, this is one of the best teams I've ever been on. When I first started, we traveled as individuals or small teams but to work with people like this is amazing. The team is very balanced and if I do say so myself, they have a very good leader at the front," Rossi started. "You realize that you're review is already over, right," Hotch said, both of them chuckling and then Hotch motioning for Rossi to continue.

"As individuals, they are all great criminal psychologists and I can tell that they were trained by the best. Agent Morgan is very disciplined and although he can get a little hot sometimes and disobey orders, he'd protect this team with his life and he puts the case above his personal problems. Agent Prentiss uses what she's learned abroad to shine a new light on some different cases. She also knows a great deal and would put it all on line for the good of solving the case. Dr. Reid is the smartest man I've ever known or even seen and this team is like his family. He puts it all on the line wherever we go, evident by the bullet that was pulled out of his leg a few weeks ago. Agent Jereau is the hardest working person in the BAU. The kind of shit that comes across her desk is enough to break down any human being and yet she sits behind that desk and takes it every day. Even now, as she has a kid, she hasn't slowed down a bit, which can be worrisome but she's a vital member of the team. Agent Garcia is also invaluable. Without her technological wit, we'd be lost on every case that we've ever worked. She adds a vital element that I didn't have when the BAU first started." Rossi finished, prompting Hotch to lean back forward in his chair.

"Well Dave, thanks for your hon-" Hotch started before he was cut off by Rossi, "I wasn't finished yet. We still have you." Hotch gave him a hard stare and then blinked, "Ok, whaddya have to say?" "Well, you are the most vital member of this team. The team looks up to you more than anyone else. They all respect you for what you've done and the fact that you've agreed with Agent Strauss not to do much more. You are the stable head on this team and they need you. That being said, you've been different lately. Believe me, no one blames you for it. Hell, no one would be the same if they had been through half the shit you have. But, the team needs someone who isn't going to put his life on the line at every corner. They need someone who is going to lead this team from the front but not put themselves in some horrible situations. You could have easily been killed a few weeks ago. Then where would we be? The team could manage without you but none of them would ever be the same. That's all I had to say, but I felt like it needed to be said." Rossi finished, waiting for Hotch's response. Hotch just sat in silence, leaning back in his chair and staring at his desk. A few seconds passed and still nothing was said. Rossi started to think that he had really hurt Hotch's psyche when Hotch finally leaned forward to speak. "Rossi, I respect you more than any member of this team. I thank you once again for your honesty and I'll try to be a little more conservative in my decisions." Rossi felt a pit in his stomach. He could tell that he had really knocked Hotch down and now he had to pick him up. He started in, trying to build Hotch up a little more and explain why he had said what he did.

JJ sat at her desk, surrounded by stacks of files. She had just gotten off the phone with a Detective in Minneapolis who had a possible serial on his hands. The team had just gotten back and they wouldn't be happy, but she was going to brief everyone and off they'd go again. The only part of this that depressed her was the fact that she wouldn't have the time to run home and see Henry quickly. Henry was the best thing that ever happened to her and if she could, she'd spend every waking moment with him. Instead, her mother was at home watching him as she looked through some of the most gruesome files that had ever been put together. It helped that Hotch was starting to take some of the paperwork off of her hands, something that she hated doing to him but something that he constantly insisted on. Reid was also a huge help. He'd come over a few times a week to watch Henry with JJ or let JJ run out to get some errands done. He was the absolute right choice to be Henry's godfather and he had done a great job so far. It was a no brainer, however, as Reid had always been there for her. They had even gone on a date, which she had enjoyed greatly. She still had some feelings for him but now it was different with Henry and William in the picture. She believed that if anything were to happen between them, things would have to change in her life and she still wasn't sure if she was ready for that. Grabbing the stack of files that she had put together for the newest case, she walked across her crowded office and opened the door. "Time to go brief the team..." she thought as she started toward the bullpen.

The team went about their business, Hotch and Rossi talking in Hotch's office, Reid, Garcia, Prentiss, and Morgan chatting out in the bullpen, and JJ getting ready to brief the team on a new case. Little did they know that just a few miles away were a team of men in two black Suburbans. The team didn't say a word as they drove, all thinking about putting the team that occupied the BAU to their deaths.

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 3 to be up in about a week...)(Thanks for reading...)


	3. A Terrible Turn

Chapter 3: A Terrible Turn

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The men filed down the stairs one at a time. Their faces were all set in complete concentration and were lit by the dank light that illuminated the staircase. Kyle couldn't help but smile at each one of them as they passed him. John Carlson was the last one down the stairs and Kyle pulled him aside quickly.

"Yes sir, what do you need?" John asked as he moved over and leaned in close to Kyle.  
"John, I want you to be the one to lead the other team. This way you will be the one to drive the other Suburban and lead the hunting team," Kyle responded with a clenched jaw.  
"I'd be honored, sir, but if I may ask, why are you choosing me?" John asked, a slight smile spreading across his face.  
"It is not that I don't trust the others but you have been loyal from day one. I have complete trust in you and believe that you will complete your mission to Allah's satisfaction." Kyle said back.  
"Thank you, sir. I will not disappoint you." John responded as he turned to walk into the living room with the others.

Kyle made them line up in front of him in the living room which was now cleared of all of the maps and charts. They had been put in a box in the corner which would be gone in an hour or two. His men were all fully outfitted in tactical gear and had their weapons at their sides. Kyle cherished this sight. He knew that they would not fail. Kyle walked up and down the line, seeing complete determination in each man's eyes. They were all ready to go, their weapons loaded and C4 armed. He made them sound off one by one with "Allahu Akbar". It was music to his ears. He decided to let his team in on the good news that he had recently received on another disposable cell phone of his. "Men, I have received word from our inside man that he has arranged it so that our credentials will check out with no problem when we get to the gate. This was a very important part of our plan and I am now even more convinced that we will succeed," Kyle said to his men. They once again answered in unison with "Allahu Akbar". He smiled and then ordered them to fall out into the garage.

He once again lined them up and started to call off names, what SUV they'd be riding, and what team they would be on when they arrived. He then watched as they once again fell out to their respective Suburbans. He climbed into the driver's seat of one of them as John did the same in the second. They opened the garage doors and moved quickly out of the dark, dank garage. As soon as they were on the street, they closed the garage doors and sped down the street, Kyle leading the way. Kyle kept his lights and sirens off the whole way, John doing the same. They were in no hurry and the last thing that they wanted to do was draw attention to themselves. Besides, the tinted windows and government plates would keep any cop away.

Kyle was sure now that they were not under surveillance. If they had been, they would have been stopped well before this moment. Now, they were just a few miles away from their destination and the knot in Kyle's stomach was tightening. He knew his men had to be nervous but they said nothing. He was so proud that they would all have their day in Paradise.

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Dave Miller stood out in the refreshing air as the sun beat down on him. It was a beautiful fall day and he opted to stand outside rather than in the guardhouse. Dave had worked at the FBI for the past 44 of the 67 years of his life. He didn't do a glorious job, however. He was a security guard at the main gate of the FBI Building in Quantico. He took no shame in the job he did, however. His pay was fairly handsome, he had the pride of being an employee of the FBI, and he was allowed to work well past the FBI's mandatory retirement age of 55 years of age. He also didn't have to worry about his safety. He had a guardhouse behind him with blacked out windows. It was larger than an average guardhouse and contained something that no others did. It contained four men that were members of something called a CAT Team or Counter-Assault Team. He knew each of the men personally and knew that they would never let anything happen to him. They had been trained by the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team or HRT, the best SWAT Team in the world. This made Dave feel extremely secure. He also had spring loaded barricades that could pop up with the touch of a button and would stop everything short of a tank.

He looked down the way and saw that two black Suburbans were turning towards the gate. He quickly checked the plates and then looked down at his roster for the day. He didn't have the plates on his list but this was nothing unusual. Agents and teams came and went at numerous times of the day. He motioned for the Suburbans to stop as they moved in front of him. After this many years on the job, he could almost feel the CAT Team get more alert behind him. The tinted window of the first SUV slid down as it came to a stop in front of him. He looked inside and saw that it was a SWAT Team and that they were all geared up with their weapons in hand. This was also nothing to be worried about because many SWAT commanders like to keep their men in full tactical gear until they're ready to debrief. Dave also didn't worry much about the weapons, as most men on SWAT Teams were kind of weird about their hardware, constantly keeping their guns near them. He figured it was just another team that went out to do training on some ranges or at a nearby shoothouse.

"Can I get your creedos, please?" Dave asked, asking for the man's credentials as he had thousands of times before.  
"Sure, one sec..." said the driver as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his credentials. He handed them through the open window to Dave.  
"Ok, one second while I run these," Dave said as he pulled a pocket computer out and punched in the creedo number. Dave had never been a huge fan of technology but the 4x8 in. computer that he had in his hand made his life infinitely easier. He smiled as the number popped up with a result, which Dave tapped on. A picture and some information matching the creedos that the driver handed him popped up.  
"Ok, it all checks out, have a nice day," Dave said and then motioned to the men of the CAT Team to lower the barricade and then raise it again so he could check the second SUV.  
The next SUV also checked out so he let it pass. The day already seemed pretty slow but he couldn't complain. The sun was out and it was turning into a beautiful day. Little did he know that he had let a very dangerous group of men into the FBI's Quantico compound.

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Kyle was ecstatic. The entrance was going to be by far the hardest part of their journey and they had done it with ease. He could feel the knot in his stomach ease just a little bit and knew that Allah was watching over him. He found a parking spot in the middle of the lot and pulled in. John pulled in next to him and they all got out quickly but non-challantly. They all walked towards the entrance, guns in hand. As they passed through, they were asked to show their credentials again. This time Kyle was more confident and it all went well. After they were all cleared through, they headed towards a bank of elevators. They stopped short and Kyle pulled John aside once again.  
"Ok, all of the high-level people will be on the seventh floor. When you get up there, they will ask for your credentials again. This time they will not work. We did not get clearance to go that high. Now, all you must do is keep talking to the man until you hear us fire our first shots. Then you may kill the man and move on to the other high-level targets. Understood?" Kyle asked, wanting to make it perfectly clear.  
"Yes, sir. Keep the man talking, do not discharge our weapons until we hear you fire, and kill as many high level targets as possible," John responded, making sure to repeat everything back.  
"Yes, and make sure everyone detonates their vest. These will do much damage. Allahu Akbar," Kyle said finally.  
"Allahu Akbar," John responded quietly.

The two teams got into their respective elevators. John put his men in the elevator and then stood at the front. He pressed the "7" button on the control panel and waited. The elevator moved upward with ease and John began to smile. This was what he had worked for all of his life. The elevator reached the seventh floor and he stepped out. He stepped into the narrow hallway and in front of him were two armed men and a metal detector. The men scowled at him as they had done to the hundreds of others who had passed through. He went up to the man in front of the metal detector and handed him the credentials he had been given. He had a small computer much like the one at the gate and he did almost the exact same thing. The only difference was that he looked up with a frown on his face.  
"I'm sorry sir, but you do not have the clearance to be up here," the agent said, looking John in the eye.  
"What? I was just up here yesterday with no problems," John responded, remembering what Kyle had told him. The argument went on as John tried to keep the man interested but not alert him or make him angry.

Kyle had his team looking perfectly forward when they entered the elevator. He wanted to be disciplined and he also didn't want to look suspicious to anyone who may be watching the security cameras. He had the floor of the BAU memorized and pressed the button when he got in. The elevator crept slowly upward and the knot in Kyle's stomach tightened again. The floors ticked off as the elevator rose and finally the correct number registered in a red digital box. As the doors opened, Kyle quickly pressed the numbers for all of the other floors. This way it would be much harder for someone to come to the rescue of the members of the BAU. Before getting out, he turned around to look at his team. They all looked back at him with concentration, determination, and an eerie smile on their faces. He smiled at them and could feel Allah smiling down on him, willing him to succeed. Kyle turned and stepped out of the elevator. He looked ahead and saw the bullpen of the BAU through two glass doors. His feet started walking without him ordering them to do so and he could feel his team doing the same behind him. "Allahu Akbar," he said to himself as he took the last step towards the doors....

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 4 to be up in about a week...)(Thanks for reading...)


	4. A Nightmare

Chapter 4: A Nightmare

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Hotch and Rossi both stood up at the same time. Hotch had just spent the past few minutes pouring out his feelings to Rossi. After Rossi had been frank with him, Hotch had felt the need to just talk to someone, and Rossi was as good a candidate as anyone else. After they were done, Hotch felt better and Rossi felt like Hotch had gotten enough out to clear his mind for a while. Hotch started to move to the door to get Morgan for his review and he just happened glanced out the window. He saw a few men in full tactical uniforms move into the bullpen. He kinda shrugged it off, continued to the door, and opened it, letting Rossi step out first.  
"Do you remember us consulting with a tac team today?" Hotch asked Rossi as they moved out onto the elevated walkway. Hotch was now furrowing his brow and unconsciously putting his hand on the gun that sat on his hip.  
"No I do not," Rossi said, starting down the stairs as Hotch moved towards Rossi's office, intending to go down those stairs.  
He made it halfway when the first member of the black clad men leveled his M-4 on Hotch.  
"EVERYBODY DOWN!!!" Hotch screamed as he dove out of the way, the first volley of shots from the man missing his head by inches.

The next few seconds were absolute chaos. Hotch could hear the other men of the group starting to fire on the members of the BAU. Hotch quickly drew his gun and moved towards the stairs. More shots shattered the glass in front of him and he could feel it cutting him as he ran. He finally made it to the stairs and tried to get down them as quickly as possible. As he hit the bottom, he finally got the chance to look up and was horrified. Four men with automatic weapons sat and sprayed the entire BAU bullpen with bullets while one stayed outside and shot those in the hallway. He felt a new wave of anger sweep over him as he reached the cover of an office cubicle. He popped up and leveled his Glock 17 at his enemy. He fired off two shots at one of the gunmen and saw them hit. Neither penetrated the mans heavy armor, only alerting the man to where he was. The pain was instant, however. When Hotch had fired, it had affected his eardrum once again. The pain was horrible as he held his hands to his ears and fell against the cubicle. His ears rung and he felt the terrible pain that he had gone a few months without. He knew he had to fight through the pain. He looked to his right and saw Rossi a few cubicles down, being pinned down by the same man that had been shooting at him.

----

As soon as the shooting had started, Rossi had found cover behind the first cubicle. He was now trying to make his way over to Hotch. That way one could cover the other. Unfortunately he couldn't get past the second cubicle. One of the men had him pinned down with heavy fire and it was starting to piss him off. He didn't know how any of the other members of the team were doing and figured that every second that he was wasting was risking the lives of his colleagues. He finally got the nerve to pop up and send out a volley of fire with his SIG. He didn't see if he'd hit anything but he soon got his answer. The bullets were getting closer and more accurate now. He was going to use the go-high, shoot-low tactic so he immediately moved out and shot again, this time close to the ground. He shot twice and one missed wide but the other hit the man's neck, severing his carotid artery and sending a spray of blood everywhere. Unfortunately, Rossi had shot just a second too late and the man had gotten a shot off. That bullet ripped through Rossi's shoulder and sent him careening backwards. As he landed, he then heard and felt something that he couldn't quite identify.

"One down," he managed to yell as he laid in pain.  
He laid on his stomach and looked at his shoulder. He saw blood leak out slowly, knowing that it would take a little time, but he'd eventually bleed to death if he didn't stop it. He tried to lay on that shoulder, fighting through the pain and trying to stop the bleeding with pressure. He was already getting hazy and his vision was getting black. He then realized what he had heard and felt. It was the unmistakable rumble of an explosion. Knowing that his back had been facing backwards, he summoned his strength and moved his hand onto his back. He was horrified when he felt multiple spots where shrapnel had entered his back. The combination of pain, horror, and loss of blood caused Rossi to fade into unconsciousness as he laid on his stomach and watched blood ooze slowly from his shoulder, forming a pool around him. The last thing he saw was Morgan's silhouette on the ground a few yards ahead of him.

----

When Hotch had yelled out for everyone to get down, Morgan's first instinct was to look in the direction that Hotch had been looking. He had been leaning against Prentiss's desk, facing away from the door and talking to Prentiss, Reid, and Garcia. When he turned around, he saw some men in full tactical gear shooting up the BAU. The man closest to him was starting to to move his weapon his way. He quickly drew his weapon and crouched down. Looking behind him, he saw Rossi running down the stairs and out of sight. He also saw something that horrified him. He saw Garcia standing there, frozen by fear and being a perfect target for any of the active shooters. He quickly got up and turned around, shielding Garcia from the closest shooter.  
"Hurry, get on the ground," Morgan said, half throwing Garcia on the carpeted floor of the BAU. He saw her crawl under a desk and then he looked back up.

In front of him, Morgan saw one of the shooters level his MP5 at him. Having nothing he could do he watched as the man let out a three-round burst. The first round missed wide but the second hit Morgan in the left arm and the third hit him in the abdomen. He hit the ground on his right arm, almost lost his gun, and was soon overcome with pain. The man that had shot him was now looking him dead in the eye. The man, realizing that Morgan was still alive, now pointed his weapon at his head. Ignoring his pain and summoning all of his strength, Morgan grasped his gun and lined up the sights of his Glock 17 with the man's head. He fired once and then collapsed his head and arm down in pain. He watched as the bullet penetrated the man's goggles and then ripped through his eye and into his brain, killing him instantly and spraying blood and brain matter everywhere. Although he didn't know it, Morgan had prevented the man from detonating his vest and killing many more. Morgan could now do nothing but lay. He watched as blood sprayed from the neck of another man and then a familiar voice scream, "One down." Morgan couldn't quite place the voice in all of the chaos and was too busy concentrating on the shooter that had just been neutralized. As Morgan watched, he saw a bright flash as the man seemed to explode. He turned away and then felt some pain in the same arm that he had been shot in. He looked to see that shrapnel had hit him and his arm was now bleeding profusely, soaking his arm and tight green shirt in a warm, wet film of blood. He felt helpless as he laid there in pain and watched his team fire at the enemy. He scanned what he could with his peripheral vision and saw Prentiss behind a desk to his left, right in front of Hotch, and thankfully unaffected by the shrapnel.

----

JJ had heard the shots as she was bringing the files to the BAU bullpen. They hadn't registered as gunshots at first but then she had seen some people on the ground, bleeding profusely. There was also blood all over the wall and covering the tile foyer of the BAU. JJ had immediately dropped her files and pulled out her Glock. She hugged the wall tightly, as there was no other good cover in the hallway. She was trying to get a good view of the shooter and was also worrying about her team. Besides the shots that could be clearly heard, there were also the sounds of three or four other weapons being fired. This worried her greatly, knowing that the members of her team were all very tired and vulnerable. She jogged closer to the sounds of the automatic fire and caught her first glance of the shooter. He was in a full tactical uniform, much like the FBI's SWAT Teams wear. He was spraying rounds everywhere, hitting a number of people that were already on the ground. JJ couldn't stand the sight of it and quickly ducked back close to the wall.

She felt a growing anger inside of her, knowing that this man was killing innocent people. The team always gets called to cases where the people have already passed on, cases where she can no longer help them. The fact that she had the opportunity to help people while they still had a chance filled her with courage. She took a deep breath and then got into a crouch, jumping swiftly and gracefully away from the wall. She then emptied half of her magazine in the direction of the shooter. Her first three shots missed wide, four of them hit the man in the vest, and one hit him in the helmet. None of them had the desired effect, however. None of the bullets penetrated the man's heavy armor but they did send him reeling backwards. As he was however, he sent a volley of fire in JJ's direction. Of the eight bullets that left the man's barrel, seven missed. The eighth, however, ripped through JJ's neck and sent her to the floor. She laid on the ground and slowly faded out of conciousness, her carotid artery draining into a pool on the floor.

----

Prentiss had ran over to a neighboring desk as soon as she had heard the first shot. She had seen Rossi eliminate one of the shooters and Morgan shoot another so the count was now down to two, plus the one outside. She had also seen Morgan get shot after courageously saving Garcia. Now, however, she had her own problems. One of the remaining shooters was making his way through the desks and killing everyone that he could see. There was also another one that was focusing mainly on her, Hotch, and Reid. Hotch was directly behind her and was laying down some cover fire as she tried to get an accurate shot at one of the shooters. Hotch was already on his second gun and she fell back on the desk while she put her second magazine in. She looked back at Hotch who was directing her to move up one desk while he laid down fire. If she moved up she'd have a much better angle on the shooters but she would also expose herself to fire while she did so. She was going to decide against it until she turned back around and saw something that would haunt her forever. She saw a woman begging for her life at the hands of the the shooter that was making his way through the bullpen. The man then shot her in the head in cold blood.

Tears welled up in Prentiss's eyes but she pushed them back down. Now was not the time nor the place. Having a new sense of courage, Prentiss turned back to Hotch and counted down from three on her fingers. As she put the last one down, Hotch jumped up and sent a volley of fire towards the gunmen. Prentiss immediately jumped up and ran to the desk in front of her. On the way she felt a sharp pain in her leg. She stumbled and slid in behind the desk that had been in front of her. Preniss looked behind her and saw something that she couldn't really comprehend. There was a long streak of blood on the floor that led to her. She looked down and saw the source. One of the shooters had landed a shot on her leg and it had severed her femoral artery, which was now spurting blood all over her dress pants. She knew that if she didn't get the bleeding stopped, she'd be dead very soon. She looked back to see Hotch in the desk behind her, covered in her blood. He must have moved exactly when she did and was then hit by her blood when she was shot. Prentiss looked back down at her leg and knew what she had to do. She put her index finger and thumb into the bullet wound and tried to find the severed artery. She found it and quickly pinched it off.

There was a horrible pain when she had put her fingers in her leg but Prentiss knew that she had to ignore it. There were still two gunmen out there and in her mind, she had to do something about it. She turned to see that one of the shooters was much closer than before. He hadn't seen Prentiss move and had gotten uncomfortably close without even realizing. Prentiss swung her gun hand up and took aim at the man. He turned just in time, however, and moved his arm towards something. Prentiss quickly put two and two together and moved behind the cover of the desk. The man had detonated his vest of C4 and had sent shrapnel everywhere. The explosion was amazingly loud and it sent Prentiss farther into the floor. As the sound subsided, Prentiss looked behind her, wondering what happened to Hotch. He was sitting on the ground with his hands to his ears. He didn't appear to have any other injuries but looked like he was in incredible pain. She then looked to her side and saw that Reid had taken a direct hit to the back with tons of tiny pieces of shrapnel. He was obviously in horrible pain but found a way to stand by leaning against one of the desks closest to the door.

----

Reid leaned up against a desk as his back seared with pain. After the shooting had started, he'd made the tactical decision to flank the attackers. He had been trying to get to the front of the bullpen so he could attack the shooters from behind. Instead, one of the shooters had detonated some sort of bomb that had covered him with shrapnel wounds. He had found the strength to regain his balance, however. He tried to get back his vision as soon as the dust had cleared from the explosion. He saw a perfect opportunity as it did. The blast had knocked the other shooter off balance when it happened. He was now stopped and trying to get his bearings. This left him an open target to Reid and his old Colt revolver.

Reid took a deep breath and tried to quell the horrible pain that he was feeling. He leveled his revolver on the man's head and fired twice, using all of the training that Hotch had once given him. Both shots landed, one hitting the shooter's temple and the other hitting the man's neck. As the man fell, Reid stumbled to the ground and tried to get up. He had killed the last man in the room but shots were still being fired from outside. He tried to stabilize himself on the desk and then looked out what used to be the BAU doors. They had been shattered during the shooting and he could now see another black clad man outside. He pulled up his arms and stabilized his revolver on the desk. He emptied the last four rounds into the man and watched as he fell to the ground. One of the four rounds had hit the man in the spine and killed him instantly.

Exhausted, Reid got up to kick the man's gun away. After he did, he looked into the BAU and saw absolute destruction. There were bullet holes everywhere, not a single pane of glass lay unbroken, and there were scorch marks and small fires where the bombs went off. Desks were strewn about, blood covered every surface, and bodies littered the floor. Reid was horrified as he counted almost 25 bodies without even looking thoroughly. Since the shooting had stopped, crying and screams for help filled the room. He was mortified. He then looked for the members of his team.

He saw Morgan on the ground, bleeding from the arm and stomach, Garcia starting to move towards him to try and stop the bleeding. Rossi was laying on his stomach in the back, not moving. Reid immediately feared the worst but had to locate the other members. He saw Hotch in the corner, his hands on his now bleeding ear. Prentiss was near Hotch, soaked in blood and holding her leg, trying to keep the bleeding under control. Reid thought he had everyone when a thought creeped into his head. Where was the last member of the team? It didn't make sense to him, what last member? Everyone was here. Then it him like a brick wall. "JJ," he uttered out loud. He scanned the bullpen, looking for any sign of her. It then occurred to him that she must have been in her office. Relieved, he turned around to walk to her office. He started to walk out into the hallway when he saw her. She was laying on the ground, immobile, blood pouring from her neck and into her blonde hair....

To be continued...

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 5 to be up in about a week...)(This update came a little sooner because I can't stand writing a cliff-hanger just as much as you guys can't stand reading one...)(Thanks for reading...)


	5. A Fallout

Chapter 5: A Fallout

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The pain that Morgan felt in his arm was dreadful. Each piece of shrapnel burned horribly and the bullet felt as though it had shattered the bone in his upper arm. The bullet that had entered his abdomen also hurt like hell. He thanked God that the bullet didn't hit his stomach, however. That would have caused his pain to multiply. As soon as the shooting had stopped, Garcia had come out of the desk she had been under and was now crawling towards him. She reached him and started to observe him. Garcia looked at Morgan's arm and stomach and the look that developed on her face was unmistakable. Tears were coming from under her glasses and streaming down her cheek before Morgan could even say a word.

"It's ok, babygirl, it doesn't hurt," Morgan said, trying to comfort her. Unfortunately a wave of pain rushed over him as he said it and he shuddered uncontrollably.  
"Oh yeah, it looks like you're doing just great," Garcia replied, unable to help herself from laughing a little bit.  
"No, seriously, none of these wounds are that bad. Do you by chance have a few Advil, though?" Morgan continued, trying to prolong the humor and keep Garcia calm. Garcia laughed and wiped some of the tears away.  
"Ok, seriously now, what do you need me to do?" Garcia said, surveying Morgan's shrapnel and bullet wounds.  
"There isn't really much we can do right now. I'm not bleeding profusely, meaning that all of the rounds missed my major blood vessels. That's a very good sign. Other than that, I'll have to wait to get to the hospital before they can extract anything. Ok, now listen carefully babygirl. You're going to have to leave me. I'm almost positive that I heard Rossi go down behind me and he may need you more than I do. Can you do that for me?" Morgan asked, knowing that Rossi could have life-threatening wounds. Garcia looked at him and then started to nod slowly.  
"Yeah, I can do that," Garcia said as she got to her feet. She had to will herself to move but when she saw Rossi lying on his stomach, not moving, she was able to move much faster, running over to his side and checking to see if he was responsive.

----

Prentiss sat against the steel desk and looked down at her leg. The bullet had ripped through her pant leg and her leg, leaving a trail of blood on the carpet. She was covered in blood and knew that she was very close to becoming unconscious because of the large amount of blood that she had lost. Prentiss had gotten the bleeding slowed to a trickle but she wouldn't last much longer in her current condition. Prentiss looked ahead of her at Hotch. He was still clinging onto his ear, looking like he was in incredible pain.

"Hotch, are you ok?" she yelled at him, trying to get his attention over the screams for help. Prentiss was surprised when he looked at her with a forlorn look on his face and then turned away. She had to take her attention away from him as she looked around the room. Something caught her eye by the door. It was Reid. He looked like he had just seen a ghost and then she saw him run out the door. She didn't know what had gotten into him and was relieved to see what replaced him in the doorway. Some paramedics were running into the room, aiding those closest to the door. She saw one running towards her and let herself relax slightly. She was going to be ok.

----

Hotch's brain was being overloaded with pain. He couldn't think of anything but the horrid pain that was ransacking his brain every second. His eardrum had almost been shattered from the gunshots and explosions. He couldn't hear anything but a high-pitched whine and couldn't feel anything besides the horrible pain in his head. Hotch opened his eyes and looked about him. He almost vomited as he took in the carnage that was layed out before him.

He could see Prentiss with both of her hands on her right leg. Her hands and pant leg were covered in blood. She was saying something to him but he couldn't hear it. He kept sweeping and found Garcia tending to some of Morgan's injuries. Morgan looked like he was in pain but from what Hotch could see, none of his wounds were mortal. He kept looking to his right when he saw Rossi. He was lying on his stomach, not moving. Hotch, as most would, feared that the worst had occurred. Hotch couldn't take it. The team members that he could see were badly wounded and he still hadn't seen JJ or Reid.

His team now meant everything to Hotch and seeing them like this made him want to break down and cry. He was stronger than that, however, and Hotch knew that he had to start showing it. Hotch looked down at himself and was surprised to find that he was covered in blood. He did a quick self-check and then realized that he didn't have any injuries other than his ear and some minor cuts from the broken glass. He then thought back to what had occurred in the past few minutes and realized what had happened. When Prentiss had been shot in the leg blood spatter had covered him from head to toe.

He was on the verge of losing it but then thought back to Prentiss. He looked over and did some mental calculations. The amount of blood that she lost meant that she was right on the verge of becoming unconscious. He was about to move over to her, wanting to start doing emergency field first aid on the members of his team when he saw something that made him unbelievably happy. A team of six or seven paramedics came rushing through the open area that used to be the doors of the BAU. They started to split up and Hotch slid back down onto his back. The men who did this for a living were here, meaning that he could conserve his energy for now.

He needed to be able to lead his team when they recovered and he'd need all of the endurance that he could get. He thought that he could be at peace knowing that he could at least rest until they were all at the hospital, but then a thought crossed his mind. There was a very distinct possibility that not all of the members of his team were going to make it. The visuals of him informing the families of the deceased ran through his mind and he couldn't handle it. He broke down for the first time since Hailey left him. He just laid on the bloody carpet and let the warm, salty tears roll down his cheek.

----

Reid couldn't believe what he was seeing. JJ was lying on her stomach with a growing pool of blood around her. The carnage in the hallway was as bad, if not worse, than what he had seen in the bullpen. Reid, however, was blind to everything but the blood spilling from JJ's neck. He ran over from the shattered doors of the BAU and had to stop himself from slipping on the blood of some of the others that were on the floor. As Reid reached JJ, he fell to his knees. He looked at her back and it didn't appear that she had any other injuries so he attempted to roll her over. He got her about an inch off the ground when the pain in his back became unbearable. He set her back on the floor and slumped down. He knew that if he didn't flip her over and stop the bleeding, she'd be dead very soon.

With this idea in mind, he got back up and tried again. He lifted and as he did the muscles in his back burned, the shrapnel moving around slightly and causing a horrible pain. He got her up to her side and tried to set her down as gently as possible. As she touched the ground, Reid let go and fell to the ground, screaming in pain. His back hurt more than anything that he had ever felt before, even the shot that he'd taken in the leg a few months ago. He tried to ignore the pain and got back up onto his knees. In front of him was the most horrid sight that he could have imagined.

JJ was unconscious, her face and hair covered with her own blood. There was a bullet wound in her neck that was spilling out blood. Reid took a deep breath, as he knew what he had to do. He took his right hand and entered the wound in JJ's neck. The warm blood that coated the inside of JJ's neck almost made Reid vomit. He had to keep it subsided, however, as he had to find the source of the bleed. He kept moving his fingers around until he found it. He was alarmed to learn that it was the carotid artery that had been severed. This was the largest artery in the body, pumping enormous amounts of blood through it every day.

Reid got his thumb and index finger around each side of the soft tissue and pressed together. This would stop the bleeding for the time being and buy time until the paramedics arrived. Having the bleeding stopped, Reid looked around, trying to ascertain how much blood JJ lost. From what he could see, she was very close to death. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes. He tried to quell the urge to cry but he couldn't. Tears dropped from his eyes and for the first time he prayed. He had never been much for religion and he really didn't know what to say but the words just came to him. As he finished, he looked up and could see the paramedics running his way from down the hall.

"Right here," he shouted as they got close. He knew that they had triage protocols that they had to follow but he didn't care. His first priority was JJ and he thought that theirs should be as well. They did, thankfully, move in next to him and ask him what he had.  
"Ok, a bullet ruptured her carotid artery and she has had major blood loss. I have the bleed stopped right now and she just needs transport ASAP," Reid said, trying to tell them everything that he could think of.  
"Ok sir, I'm going to try and get below your fingers so I can hold the bleed. Can you move a little so I can try to get in there?" the medic responded in a tense voice. Reid moved a little to let the paramedic in. The medic moved his hand in and Reid could feel the man get his fingers in underneath his own.  
"Ok, I got it. You can let go now. Sir, please get yourself medical attention. You have endured a major trauma to your back," the medic said as he motioned Reid away. Reid let go of the artery and took his hand from JJ's neck. Reid started to turn to his side when he collapsed. He turned into dead weight and dropped into the pool of JJ's blood. He could feel himself drift into unconsciousness from both his blood loss and exhaustion.

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 6 to be up in about a week...)(Thanks for reading...)


	6. A Slow Recovery

Chapter 6: A Slow Recovery

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Hotch walked into the hospital with the help of a paramedic. His equilibrium had been screwed up when his eardrum blew, meaning that he could no longer balance himself correctly. He had tried to get up on his own at Quantico and had fell to his side, almost breaking his arm as he hit the ground. A paramedic had then ran over to him and ordered him to stay on the ground until he could get a stretcher over to him. A thought had crossed Hotch's mind at that moment and he called for the medic.

"Yes, sir," the medic said as he leaned down to Hotch.  
"SSA's Rossi, Reid, Morgan, Prentiss, Jareau, and technical analyst Penelope Garcia," Hotch said, barely able to hear the words that were coming out of his own mouth, "I want them all brought to the same hospital and I want to be brought there as well."  
"I'll do what I can, sir," the medic yelled as he ran over to talk to the highest-ranking paramedic there.

Hotch put his head back down at that moment and didn't really remember much until he was being put on a backboard and lifted onto the stretcher. He noticed his hearing get a little better as he was rolled out of the BAU and put into the elevator, looking up at the soft lights above him. As he reached the bottom and was pulled out of the elevator, he looked around and was amazed at what he saw. There were thousands of men and women, from Probationary Agents to Special Agents in Charge. The building was on lock down and this was the gathering place for everyone. Hotch could feel all the eyes in the room turn onto him as he was wheeled from the elevator to the doors. Hotch gave them a thumbs-up and it was met by applause. These men and women spent their entire lives fighting crime, so when something like this hits so close to home, they need something to cheer them up. This was Hotch's mentality, trying to get the men and women of the FBI back on the job and feeling better. Hotch was rolled out into the bright sun, having to close his eyes to shield them. He could feel himself being lifted into the ambulance and secured down and then he once again blacked out until the ambulance pulled into the hospital.

As they started to pull him out of the ambulance, Hotch told the paramedic to let him off of the stretcher. He didn't like being strapped down like this, still on edge from the shooting. He had placed his gun back in its holster when the shooting stopped, being assured that he'd have it in case something else happened. He leaned up on the stretcher and then placed his feet on the ground. He put weight on them and almost fell onto the tar. The paramedic caught him and helped him back to his feet.

"You sure are a stubborn S.O.B. aren't you?" he asked Hotch, laughing as he helped him into the hospital. Hotch figured that since the medic was joking with him, that he'd probably be fine, but he was still worried. His hearing had gotten slightly better but he dreaded the doctor's opinion. The medic got him admitted immediately and led him to a room of his own. The hallway was covered in white tile and the harsh fluorescent light reminded him of the BAU. The whole hospital was also painted a sickening toupe color. The medic got Hotch to the wooden door of his room and then guided him inside. Hotch sat himself down on the bed and waited as the paramedic had disappeared. Soon, a petite brunette nurse came in and took his information, told him to take a shower to get the blood off of him, and gave him a gown to get into. She was a little too peppy for his taste, considering the condition that he was currently in. Hotch didn't move, however, having no desire to take a shower. She left and it took a while longer for a doctor to come in.

His doctor was a gray-haired man, about 55 years old. He examined Hotch and then called for a nurse to help him. He basically forced Hotch to take a shower in the meantime, needing the blood off of him to do the next procedure. The doctor explained to Hotch that he was going to extract all of the glass from him and fix up his cuts. He then asked if Hotch wanted any pain medicine before he started. Hotch shook his head no. He wanted to be as alert as possible as these next few hours would be crucial. The doctor then took a tweezers and started to take out each piece of glass. Hotch was in horrible pain but he said nothing. After the doctor had all of the glass out, he sterilized all of the wounds and either stitched them up or put a butterfly bandage on. As he did, he noticed some of the scars that Hotch had on his stomach. The doctor started to ask questions and Hotch tried to deflect each one. The last thing that he wanted to do was regress into the pain of that part of his life. After the doctor finished up, he told Hotch that he was going to be back to examine his ear in a little while.

The doctor was gone before Hotch thought of the question that he wanted to ask. He wanted to know the condition of his team. When he had been at the BAU, he had asked that all of his team be transported here before they took him. He wanted to be the last of his team to arrive. Now that he was here, he wanted to know how everyone was doing, knowing that Rossi, Prentiss, and Morgan were already in rough shape. For the first time, he was left to think about what had just happened. He couldn't believe that someone had come into the BAU and shot up his whole team. The investigator in him wanted to start working on the case at that moment, but the leader in him knew that he would need the help of his team. Hotch was relieved when he saw his doctor coming.

"Doctor, do you know the condition of my team? They all arrived shortly before I did from the same place," Hotch asked, looking his doctor in the eye.  
"Let me look at your ear and then I'll get you all of their information. How does that sound?" the doctor asked back, in a much to cheery tone. The man was larger and looked a little like Santa but was a little too happy for Hotch's taste. It seemed like everyone in this hospital had way to much pep and Hotch couldn't understand why.

The doctor examined his ear and looked over his medical history for about an hour without saying a word. He finally took his gloves off and closed Hotch's fle. He then sat down in front of Hotch, an emotionless look on his face. Hotch, like any others would, feared the worst. The doctor started speaking but Hotch had to quickly interrupt and sheepishly tell him to speak up a little.

"Ok, you are well aware of the condition that you've had since an SUV blew up in front of you," the doctor started, Hotch nodding back at him.  
"In that instance, your eardrum and inner ear had been damaged greatly. This time both your eardrums have burst completely, but you had someone looking out for you. Thankfully, your inner ear has not been damaged at all. This means that there should not be any long-term damage to your ear that was not there before. Your eardrums will heal within a few weeks and you equilibrium should also slowly get better. So, how does that sound?" the doctor finished, a smile back on his face.  
"Thank you doctor," Hotch answered, a slight smile on his face as well. This was immediately replaced as he thought back to his question.  
"So, doctor, are you able to get that information about my team?" Hotch asked as his doctor got up.  
"Yes, I will do that for sure, just give me their names please," the doctor answered. Hotch proceeded to give the man the names of everyone on his team. The doctor left hastily, wanting to get back to Hotch quickly.

Fifteen minutes passed before the doctor came back in, having a grim look on his face. He pulled out six files and set them down on the small table at the front. He took the top one off and started reading.

"Agent Penelope Garcia. She was admitted for a routine check and she had no injuries on her. She was released and the comment says that she was going home to get a "go" bag and then she was going to come back here. Agent Emily Prentiss. She went into emergency surgery as soon as she was admitted to remove a bullet and repair her femoral artery. It says here that the surgery is still ongoing but I spoke to one of the OR nurses and he said that she'll be just fine. The artery is already repaired and they are in the process of finding and removing the bullet, a relatively routine procedure, surprisingly. Agent Derek Morgan. He was admitted and sent into surgery after a quick examination. His surgery is also still ongoing. I spoke to the Assistant Surgeon and she told me that they have the shrapnel and bullet out of his arm. Unfortunately, the bullet shattered his humerus, the bone in his upper arm. She also said that they were in the process of pulling a bullet out of his abdomen. She said that it has been tough to find but it didn't look like any major organs were it. From what I can see, he'll also be fine, except for a broken arm and quite a few scars. Now, this is where the news takes a turn for the worse. Agent David Rossi. His back had been ravaged by shrapnel and a bullet had ripped through his shoulder. He went into surgery and had as much of the shrapnel removed as possible. The bullet was also removed and we transfused quite a bit of blood. Unfortunately, he still slipped into a coma. We hope that he'll be out of it soon but it really is anybody's guess. Agent Spencer Reid. His heart went into ventricular fibrillation twice on the way to the hospital. Fortunately, medicine has come a long way in a short time and we were able to get him back. They had to shock him four times but they got him back. When they arrived, he went into surgery immediately to have the shrapnel removed from his back. The surgeon was able to get most of it out and we transfused a lot of blood. The surgeon should just be finishing up now and it's looking like he should be ok now. It was, however, a tense few hours. Now, to the worst news that I have. Agent Jennifer Jareau. She was shot in the neck, severing her carotid artery. She lost an enormous amount of blood. One of your agents was able to get it sealed off, and our medics kept it that way until they arrived. She, however, has already died twice on the operating table. We are still working but it's not looking good," the doctor finally finished up, taking a deep breath and having a sympathetic look on his face.

Hotch didn't know what to do. He was frozen, a look of disbelief on his face. His entire team was ravaged and one was close to death. He was so confused and the questions came rushing to his mind. How could this have happened? How was he unable to stop this? What was he going to tell JJ's family? The doctor patted him on the back and told him that he'd update him regularly on his way out, passing Garcia as he walked out the door. Garcia came into the room and Hotch looked up, his eyes watering. Garcia walked over to the files and started to read. She read for 5 minutes and then looked up at Hotch, tears running down her face. She got up and sat next to Hotch.

"How are you doing?" Hotch asked, wondering how Garcia was coping.  
"I'll be fine. What worries me is how the others are doing," Garcia said, her voice quivering the whole time. Hotch nodded his head as she spoke and then looked up as he saw motion in the doorway. His doctor was motioning Prentiss into the door. She was on crutches, her leg bandaged.  
"Man, you must all be the same. The surgeon ordered her to rest, so what does she do, get right up and start walking here," the doctor said, trying to insert some humor. Hotch got up and once again almost fell to the ground. Garcia caught him and helped him get over to Prentiss. They all hugged, tears filling each of their eyes.

"Did they tell you about the rest of the team?" Hotch asked, Prentiss nodding as he finished.  
"So, how did your surgery go?" Hotch asked, trying to change the subject away from the ailing team.  
"From what they told me, it couldn't have gone better. They got my artery repaired and the bullet out with almost no problems. I should be able to walk normally within a few days, although I'll have to take it easy," Prentiss replied, sounding optimistic as she did.

They sat and talked for about an hour. Then they all moved into the waiting room, thus being able to get constant updates on the rest of the team. Hotch was now able to take a few steps on his own but he sat down along with Prentiss. Garcia went to the cafeteria and brought back coffee as it was now almost 6 PM, nine hours after the men invaded the BAU. It looked like it would be a long night for Hotch and his team, waiting for updates on each member. After they got to the waiting room, a surgeon came out and gave them an update on Morgan. He was now out of surgery and in great shape. His only long term ailment was a cast that he had to wear on his arm for a few weeks.

After a while, he came out into the waiting room to the greeting of hugs all around. Unfortunately, no one had updated him on the condition of the rest of his co-workers, the responsibility now falling on Hotch, Prentiss, and Garcia. Their hearts broke as they saw Morgan be crushed by the news of the rest of the team. He sat in silence afterwards, praying that all of his friends would be alright. His physical pain felt like nothing now, compared to the terrible emotional pain he was in. Morgan just wanted this nightmare to be over.

He moved next to Hotchner and they started to talk quietly about the possible cause of the incident that had taken place just hours ago. He felt like he just needed to get his mind off of the thought of his friends in pain. Prentiss joined the conversation a short while later but they got almost nowhere. Having no evidence in front of them and an obvious distraction, they couldn't really comprehend who would have done this. They did keep talking, however, until a doctor walked into the waiting room. Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, and Garcia were all confused, expecting a surgeon to come and give them an update. They all fell silent, however, and waited for the man in blue scrubs to give them the latest update.

"I have some new information about Agent Rossi," the man said, his blue scrubs now becoming apparent to the team. They all leaned forward in anticipation.  
"He came out of his coma a few minutes ago. He's still pretty weak and very tired but I think that it would be ok for you four to talk to him if you'd like," the doctor said, causing the team to let out a giant sigh of relief. They were all ecstatic, knowing that Rossi was now alright. The team all got up and followed the young doctor down the hall to a patient room. There Rossi sat, alert and smiling at the sight of a good chunk of the team.

"Wow, look who's up," Prentiss said as she crutched her way through the doorway.  
"Oh yeah, because you're looking so great yourself," Rossi responded wearily, a tired smile forming on his face. This comment got a laugh from the rest of the team as well.  
"In fact, you all look like shit," Rossi said, getting an even bigger laugh from the team.  
"Speak for yourself," Garcia responded, tossing her hair. Now everyone was really rolling. The laughing settled down and the mood got a little more serious.  
"So where are Reid and JJ?" Rossi asked, a look of concern on his face.  
"We - ah - they're in surgery now and it - well - it just doesn't look good," Hotch said uncomfortably, not even wanting to think about it. Rossi's face turned more somber as he said a silent prayer for his co-workers.

Just as the Hotch was about to speak again, a surgeon walked through the door. He stepped into the middle of the room and all eyes turned to him. The room was completely silent as he started to speak.

"We just completed surgery on both Agent Jareau and Agent Reid. They both were severely injured and had enormous blood loss. We did everything we could and it paid off in the end. Both Agent Jareau and Agent Reid made it with surprisingly minimal long term effects. I don't know if you guys are religious at all, but someone was looking out for those two, and they may have been looking out for each other, seeming that their surgeries ended at almost exactly the same time. We have put them in the same recovery room so you can speak to them both. They are currently awake but extremely tired and weak. Normally, I wouldn't let others into their room but I'll give you guys a few minutes if you'll follow me to their room," the surgeon said, creating a sense of absolute ecstasy in the room.

None of the team members thought that Reid and JJ would make it and they were in awe. They got up quickly to follow the surgeon. Garcia helped Rossi get out of bed and into a wheelchair, much to the chagrin of the doctor. "If just one of you would listen to me, it would be a hell of a day," the doctor said, trying to help get Rossi into the chair. The team had to keep from running down the hall as they followed the surgeon. They got to the end of the hall where a double-patient room sat. They walked in and there lay JJ and Reid, looking horrible. They were both very pale and tired looking. JJ's neck was completely wrapped in bandages and she had a C-Collar on to keep her from moving around too much. Reid also had bandages all around his back. The team gathered in and stood in front of the beds, which were about 5 feet apart.

"Well...it's about time you two decided to join us," Morgan said, breaking the silence with some humor. This got a laugh from the team and a tired smile from Reid and JJ.  
"So, how are you guys feeling?" Rossi asked, not feeling very well himself.  
Reid spoke first, having to clear his throat from being silent for 9 hours, "Well, I've felt better. My back is absolutely killing me and it feels like I have a rock in my stomach. I'm also pumped with morphine though, so I can't really complain. Also, I looked up the odds of survival for my type of surgery and they are astronomically low. I mean, I guess you do have to take into account that these surgeries usually take place on battlefields, so the odds are probably artificially low, but I still feel very lucky," Reid finished, getting increasingly excited as he spoke.  
"Wow, nothing will slow this kid down, will it. Settle down before you hurt yourself," Morgan said, smiling at Reid.

"How about you JJ, how are you feeling?" asked Prentiss as she sat down in one of the chairs.  
"Well, I'm lucky to be alive so I'm feeling pretty good. It sounded like I was unbelievably close to dying. Really, my only complaint right now is that I really want to see Henry. I'm actually not even in that much physical pain and the doctor said that I'll probably heal pretty fast, just having to regain some strength. I still just can't believe it. I never really expected that when I went to work today, I'd be shot in the neck. Do we know who did it yet?" JJ finished, a look of curiosity in her face.  
"Not yet but I plan to figure out very soon. They struck us close to him and we will not let them get away with it. You all deserve justice and I plan to get it for us. It sounds like you should all be out of here in about a week. I just got a text and it looks like I'll be having a meeting with Agent Strauss in two days so I'll know more then. Until then, everyone get some rest and get better quickly. And JJ, I'll get someone to go get Henry for you," Hotch said, the team nodding with him and JJ thanking him afterwards. The team talked for a few more minutes before Hotch excused himself.

"Well, everyone get some rest. I'll talk to you again in two days but I've been released so I'm going back to the scene to see if I can't get a handle on things," Hotch finished, saying goodnight to the team and heading back to his room.

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(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 7 to be up in about a week...)(Thanks for reading...)


	7. A Return

Chapter 7: A Return

* * *

Hotch walked out of the hospital and into the crisp air surrounded by darkness. It was now almost midnight and he had just now gotten discharged. It had taken him a while to get discharged, having to use his charm with one of the nurses to finally get out. He had then got back into a suit that Garcia had gotten for him and started walking to his car. He had to sit down a few times on the way to keep from losing his balance. He was relieved when he finally got outside and jumped into the black SUV that Garcia had brought back.

The parking lot was small and it took a little while to maneuver the big SUV out onto the street. Hotch knew the way back and it didn't take him long. The ride back was uneventful and was relatively short. As he pulled up, he looked at the large building looming in front of him and realized that nothing looked different. The place was still on lockdown, however, and there were armed guards at the gate. He pulled up and rolled down his window. One of the men that was dressed in full tactical gear met him at his car door.

"Evening, may I see your creedos, sir?" the man said, a look of suspicion on his face. Hotch already had his credentials out, having done this thousands of times before. He handed them to the man who then compared it to a list that he was holding. The man looked up and Hotch could see that he had tensed a little.  
"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have your name on the list," the man said, eyeing Hotch.  
"What do you mean I'm not on the damn list, I was of the victims of the shooting?" Hotch said, anger hanging on every word.  
"I'm sorry, sir, but this list came straight from the director," the man said, trying to keep Hotch calm.  
"Ok, give me a second to make a phone call," Hotch said while pulling out his phone, "and quit calling me sir," Hotch added.

Hotch pulled out his phone and scrolled to a number that he hated dialing. He highlighted the number and his phone immediately started to ring. He put it up to the ear that felt better and waited. A voice soon came to life on the other end.  
"Agent Strauss," the voice said, obviously slightly irritated.  
"Agent Strauss, this is Aaron Hotchner," Hotch said.  
"Hello Agent Hotchner, what can I do for you?" Strauss asked, seeming genuine enough.  
"Well, I'm at the front gate and they won't let me through. I was wondering if maybe you could do something?" Hotch asked, hoping Strauss would sympathize with him.  
"The front gate? What are you doing out of the hospital? I gave them orders that no one was to be released until I reviewed their medical records and made the decision," Strauss said, obviously frustrated.  
"Well, I was going to have to get out tomorrow anyway for our little "meeting" so what difference does it make. I'd really like to get in now. The man with the big gun is looking angrier with each passing second," Hotch said, an obvious edge to his voice. He was angry and the sarcasm was starting to come out in waves. He smiled at the scowling security gaurd as he waited for the Strauss to respond.  
"Agent Hotchner, I suggest that you calm down. I'm still unsure that you are at 100% and I'm not sure that anyone wants you in here if you're going to cause trouble," Strauss responded, much too calmly for Hotch's liking. Knowing that he would have to act calm if he had any hope of getting in, he brought his voice down.  
"Agent Strauss, I would very much like to enter the building so if you could make a few calls, that would be much obliged," Hotch said, still angry but keeping his voice calm.  
"I'll see what I can do," Strauss said and then cut the connection.

Hotch looked down at his phone in disbelief. She had actually just hung up on him. "So much for professional courtesy," he said under his breath. He figured that he must have a concussion or something. That must have been the reason that he was getting so angry at these people. One of the lesser known symptoms of a concussion is an increase in agression. He thought about it for a moment and then came to the conclusion that they deserved it anyway and that the doctor would have caught it if he had one. Reminding himself, he looked over at the angry man with the gun.

"You should be getting a call soon," Hotch said, not even believing himself.  
"Ok...sir," the man said, obviously trying to be a jackass. Hotch gave him a condescending grin and then waited. The man's Blackberry started to vibrate on his hip after a few minutes. He picked it up and said "Yes" three times in a row. He then hung up and put the Blackberry back in it's holster.

"Lucky you, they say that you can go ahead," the man said as he hit the button on the guardhouse, causing the concrete pylons to lower. Hotch thought about thanking the man but quickly pushed the thought out of his head. Hotch quickly rolled up his window and continued on down the road toward the looming building in front of him. As he got to the entrance, he saw that things had in fact changed. There were at least a dozen FBI vehicles at the entrance, all of them still having their lights going, and that didn't even include the crime scene investigators.

The FBI had some of the best investigators in the world and Hotch had no doubt that they were either here or on their way. Hotch parked and threw on his lights so no one would bother his SUV. He got out and adjusted his suit and gun, making sure that everything was aligned properly. He walked in and was relieved to see that all of the agents were gone. Hotch figured that they must have been allowed to go back to their respective floors. Hotch walked over the elevators and was about to hit the button but then thought better of it. The crime scene techs probably had the elevator holding on his old floor and so Hotch decided to take the stairs instead.

It took Hotch about 20 minutes to go up the stairs, having to cling to the railing to keep his balance. He also was quite exhausted and had to stop to take short breaks regularly. As he reached the correct floor, he pulled latex gloves out of his pocket and put them on. Opening the door, he moved out into the hallway and was once again shocked at what he saw. The bodies had all been removed but there was still blood everywhere. There were about four techs on the entire floor and Hotch was curious as to why there weren't more. He went up to the one nearest to him, watching his step the entire way.

"You must be Agent Hotchner," the man said as Hotch got near. Hotch was thrown off gaurd by the man knowing his name.  
"I am, but how did you know my name?" Hotch asked, genuine curiosity in his eyes. The man smiled briefly and then answered.  
"Agent Strauss called me and told me that you were on your way up. Feel free to look around. Everything has been photographed and accounted for so feel free to pick up evidence if necessary and take any pictures that you'd like. All we ask is that you alert us if you find anything interesting,"  
"Thank you, I owe you guys one. Oh, also, before I forget, why are there only four of you guys up here?" Hotch asked.  
"Director Mueller has given out an order that only four techs are to work at once and that we're supposed to switch out every 6 hours to keep fresh," the tech said as he cataloged a large piece of glass.

Hotch walked away and forced himself to commend the director. It made sense to him, knowing that a fresh mind was one of the most powerful weapons in the world. He immediately took out his Blackberry and activated the camera feature. The quality of the pictures was amazing and so Hotch figured he'd get a few pictures to go over until they could all start working the case. He took over 100 pictures of the whole scene and then realized that he was going a little overboard. He knew that he'd get to see the crime scene photos later but he just felt a need to document the carnage. He ended up getting a picture of everything that he thought was important.

Leaning down to where dozens of cartridge casings lay, he took out his pen. Putting it in the open end of the casing, he held up to get a better look. He then took out a ziploc bag and dropped the casing in so he could move it around without disturbing it. He examined it and then put it in his pocket without even thinking about it. He then walked over to the weapons that had been used by the assailants and looked at each of them. They all had their serial numbers, which was a big surprise. Hotch diligently wrote each of them down in his notebook and then walked around aimlessly for a while. He couldn't believe the carnage and the stench of blood and cordite that hung in the air. After seeing all that he could handle, he went into his office quickly.

He grabbed everything that he thought he would need, as he didn't want to have to come back again until they were done processing the scene. He then left, said goodbye to the evidence techs, and made his way down the stairs. He was extremely fatigued now and even going down the stairs was a challenge. He had to stop at every landing and sometimes even on the stairs. He finally hit the bottom floor and started making his way to his car.

As he did, his Blackberry vibrated and he looked down at it. He had a text from Agent Strauss. "Tomorrow. My Office. 1400," was all it said. Hotch wanted to smash his phone but kept himself under control. Getting back to his car, he jumped in and turned off the lights. He pulled out and was tempted to flick off the gate attendant as he left but decided against it. He didn't need any bad press at a time like this. He found his way home and got out of the SUV. His plan was to get a few hours of sleep and then get back to the hospital by morning. That way he'd have a few hours to be at the hospital before his meeting.

As he got in, he started to empty his pockets onto his counter. When his hand hit the casing, he was mortified. He had accidently stolen evidence from a crime scene. He knew that he'd get his ass chewed but made a mental note to bring it to his meeting with Strauss tomorrow. He slipped the SIM card out of his phone and put it into his computer, setting it to download all of the pictures. Feeling like he had accomplished all he could, he walked into his room. Throwing himself onto his bed, he was asleep almost immediately.

* * *

(I'm so sorry it took so long for this update. I've been really busy but hopefully it'll start to subside now)(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 8 to be up in about a week...)(Thanks for reading...)


	8. A Meeting

Chapter 8: A Meeting

* * *

The feeling of his Blackberry vibrating against his leg knocked Hotch out of his blissful sleep. He slowly rolled onto his back and pulled out his oversized phone. He looked at the digital display and his stomach dropped. His alarm had been going for three whole hours and he hadn't even noticed. "Shit," Hotch said as he got up and started to strip out of the suit that he had slept in. Hotch had planned to hit the hospital on his way to his meeting with Strauss, but now there was no way that that would happen. As it was, it looked like he might be late to his meeting with Strauss. He peeled off his bandages from the day before and threw them away. He looked in the mirror and was relieved to see that his wounds were already starting to heal up nicely. He then quickly ran into the bathroom, turned on his shower, and jumped in. Besides being somewhat late, Hotch was feeling great.

He had needed every ounce of sleep that he could manage and he had gotten a full 12 hours the night before. His mind was finally at ease, knowing that his whole team had made it through the terrible day that was yesterday. Hotch was still awash with questions about what had happened. He hoped that his meeting with Strauss would fill in some of the blanks but had a feeling that he'd be leaving with more questions than answers. He did still feel bad that he let his guard down, letting his entire team get shot. He also felt bad about the way he had acted when he got back to Quantico the night before. He felt like he was off base in being angry with Strauss and the gate attendant, knowing that he must have just been under a lot of stress.

Hotch quickly washed his hair and turned the shower off, grabbing a towel from the rack and starting to dry himself off. When he felt like he was dry enough, he wrapped his towel around his waist and went back into his bedroom. Hotch got some bandages and replaced the ones that he had taken off of his back. He flipped through some of the suits in his closet and picked one for the day. He got dressed slowly, still aching from the day before, although the sleep and hot water had helped a lot. He got in front of the mirror to straighten his tie out and put his suit jacket on. He then moved over to his bedside safe and typed in the combination. He pulled out his service pistol and took out the magazine.

Grabbing a box of ammunition from his closet, he loaded his clip back up and then slammed it back into his Glock. He racked a round and then put it into his holster, after which he placed it onto his belt. He did the same with his back-up weapon and then put that in an ankle holster, strapping it to his lower shin. He also grabbed his credentials and put it into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. After this, he moved into the bathroom. He put a tissue into the neck of his suit coat and started to shave. For being through a shooting and an enormous amount of stress, he couldn't help but think that he was looking pretty good. Hotch finished shaving and then brushed his teeth and combed his hair. Satisfied that he was his professional self, he moved back to the bedroom.

Hotch did a once over in the mirror and then walked into the kitchen and poured some coffee that was on an automatic timer into a thermos. He then went over to his computer and took the SIM card out, putting it back into his phone. He quickly glanced at the computer and realized that he was cutting his time too close. Grabbing his keys, he half jogged out the door. He took the stairs two at a time and paused as he got to the door to the outside. He had just jogged down four flights of stairs and he was just slightly out of breath. This was good news, knowing that he was starting to heal. He also realized that his hearing was much better than yesterday, although still slightly impaired. He looked out and saw that the sun was out in full force, something that had been relatively common, although autumn was in full force.

He threw on his sunglasses and then exited his building. He unlocked his SUV and jumped in, starting it up. He looked at the clock and did something that he never would have done a week ago. He put on his red and blues, intending to get through traffic much faster. This wasn't even close to protocol, especially because he was just going to be late for a meeting. In the back of his mind, however, he had an inkling that this meeting wasn't going to be full of good news. He had allowed the BAU to be attacked and half of his team had been frighteningly near death. He was surprised that his team was so compassionate towards him, as he was supposed to look out for them, something that he had failed miserably at during the past couple days. Now he was afraid that he would be disciplined by Agent Strauss. Hell, Strauss had come down on him for much less than this. That's when the realization hit him. Hotch had forgotten the shell casing that he had found the night before back at his apartment and he didn't have time to go back and get it. "Great," Hotch mumbled aloud, knowing that he'd be obligated to tell Strauss about it and that this would only compound her anger.

He got within about five miles of Quatico and flipped his lights off. He was now relatively close to making it on time. He got a few hundred yards away and winced. The same gate guard from last night was manning the guardhouse that he had to pass through. He hit the button on his armrest and his window started to creep down. Grabbing his credentials from the breast pocket of his jacket, he slowly creeped his SUV to a stop in front of the pylons. The gate guard moved towards him, and, realizing whom it was, started to scowl immediately.

"Well, look who's back," the man said, taking Hotch's credentials and just quickly glancing at them, now very familiar as to who he was.  
"About that, I'm very sorry. I was suffering a concussion last night and had some increased aggression. I promise you that it'll never happen again and I apologize for what happened last night," Hotch said, trying to make up for his rudeness the night before.  
"Well, thank you for your apology. Agent Strauss should be waiting for you, have a nice day," the guard said, his scowl turning into a slight smile, although Hotch couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or not.

Hotch felt better anyway, having apologized to the gate guard and having the man at least feign understanding. Hotch drove down the winding road to the looming building in front of him and looked into the parking lot. The lot was relatively full so he drove down one of the aisles. As he did, he noticed that there was some crime scene tape around two SUV's. He looked at his clock and found that he had about 10 minutes to spare, time that he had made up by weaving through traffic. He put his SUV in park and jumped out. Seeing a crime scene tech on the other side of the SUV's, he worked his way around to the front of the vehicles.

"Good afternoon, sir," the tech said as Hotch came around the front of the SUV. The tech was a shorter man with glasses, already looking a little sunburned from being out in the bright autumn sun.  
"Good afternoon," Hotch replied, adding, "Can I ask you why these two SUV's are taped off?"  
"These two are the two vehicles that the intruders used as transports yesterday," the tech said, swabbing the grill of the vehicle.  
"I see, would you mind if I took some pictures of the vehicles?" Hotch asked.  
"That shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't touch anything. We haven't had the chance to fully process the vehicles yet," the tech said, putting his swab into a tube.  
"Thank you, I'll be quick," Hotch said, already taking out his Blackberry.

He quickly erased the pictures from the previous day, having backed them up on his computer already. He then activated the camera feature on his phone. Looking into the windows, he realized there was really nothing to photograph. Both of the SUV's were extremely clean and were totally empty. Having nothing else to photograph, he took a picture of the VIN number on each of the SUV's and then went around back, taking a picture of both of the license plates. He then put his phone back and jumped back into his SUV, thanking the surprisingly open evidence tech as he did.

Hotch found an empty parking spot a few slots down and shut down his Suburban. Getting out, he straightened out his suit and adjusted his gun. He found his stride and started walking towards the building in front of him. As he got close, Hotch took his sunglasses off and put them in his breast pocket. He flashed his creedos to the security guard that welcomed him in and then walked over to the elevator bank. He hit the "Up" button and then took a second to look around. It amazed him as to how quickly people could get back to work as normal. The building must have been let off of lockdown just a few hours ago and the place was once again buzzing with activity. Hotch heard a ding behind him and turned around to an empty elevator. Getting in, he hit the "7" button and waited for the elevator to start moving. It started to creep slowly upward and he watched the numbers tick off above him, much like the terrorists did just a day ago, although in a different elevator, one that was still being processed. The number 7 appeared above him and the elevator dinged. The doors quickly opened and Hotch was puzzled at what he saw. There was blood, shell casings, and scorch marks everywhere and evidence techs were bustling about. Hotch had no idea that any terrorists and made it up to this floor. He again felt terrible, figuring that they had escaped his capture. He moved through the group of techs and started to walk towards Strauss's office. There was a secretary outside of her office and she buzzed Strauss as she saw Hotch walking towards her. Hotch made his way closer and the secretary spoke up.

"Agent Strauss is almost ready for you. If you would just take a seat for a moment, she'll be right with you," the busy secretary said.  
"Thank you, m'am," Hotch said, moving to the two cushioned chairs that looked like they could have come out of any doctor's office in America.

As he sat down, Hotch looked over at Strauss's secretary and realized that he could profile quite a bit about Strauss by just looking at her. The young woman was a short blonde with blue eyes, being very attractive. This probably meant that Strauss wanted to put a good image forward. However, the woman was dressed in a pantsuit, as was she during the various other times that Hotch had saw her. Hotch figured that this must have been Strauss's doing and it also showed that Strauss was afraid of not being taken seriously. It was also the reason that Strauss always wore pantsuits herself. Hotch was knocked out of his quick round of profiling by a telephone ring at the secretary's desk. The secretary said a few words and then hung up.

"Agent Strauss will see you now," the woman said, Hotch getting to his feet as she spoke.

Hotch walked in and closed the door behind him. Agent Strauss was reviewing what looked to be a medical chart from the hospital that he had been at, and she looked up at him, taking her glasses off and closing the file, setting it off to the side. Her blonde hair looked much like it always did. Her calm, cold demeanor was still about her, sending a chill down Hotch's spine. Her gray eyes pierced through him and he moved towards the single chair in the room, placed directly in front of Strauss's desk.

"Good afternoon Agent Hotchner, can I get you anything before we start," Strauss said, once again seeming sincere.  
"No, m'am," Hotch said, eager to get down to the root of the meeting.  
"Well Agent Hotchner, I don't like to mince words and I want to give you this report without interruption. Everything I'm about to tell you has been cleared by the director and he has also approved everything. If you agree to listen without interruption, I'd like to start right now," Strauss said, her voice more stern than before.  
"Ok, m'am, go ahead, I'm listening," said a confused but curious Hotchner.  
"Ok, as you know, yesterday a group of intruders infiltrated the FBI building here at Quantico. They came in two SUV's. We believe that these SUV's were stolen and equipped with lights to look very much like our own. These men were also outfitted with state of the art body armor and weapons. We don't know where their base was but we hope to find it very soon. We know that they had a relatively easy time getting past our security measures. We don't know why this is but are again hoping to find out very soon. These men then split into two groups. One of the groups took the elevator up to the floor that the BAU was on and the other group took another elevator up to this floor, attacking the men and women that I work with. These men shot up both floors and then detonated vests of explosives, killing even more agents. In total, they killed 37 of our agents yesterday, injuring countless more. I have been reading the files on your agents and they are all lucky to be alive. Unfortunately, there were many other agents who were not so lucky. In light of all this, I have spoken to the director and we have come to the conclusion that the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI be shut down until further notice. And I'm not just talking about this case, I mean shut down completely. Your unit took heavy losses and your work area has been destroyed beyond repair, requiring an entire renovation. Your team in particular isn't even able to function currently, all being severely injured. We will review our decision in three months, but until that time you're agents will get paid leave and will not be allowed to work any cases for the FBI. Do you understand what I have said, Agent Hotchner?" Strauss finished.

Hotch stared back at his superior agent in disbelief, his mouth agape. He figured that this meeting wouldn't be good for him but he never expected it to turn out like this. His team, no not just his team, the entire BAU had been dismantled and not one word had been spoken to him about it. The worst part was that he couldn't even appeal to a higher-up, as the director himself was one of the responsible. Hotch looked at the stone-faced ice queen in front of him and tried to regain his composure.

"I - ma'm - I - I respectfully disagree with your decision. My team is already on the mend and will be fully healed in the matter of a week. We don't need an official workspace. Just throw us in a room somewhere. I mean, hell, all of you guys are still working and there are still scorch marks on the wall outside. I think that it would be a huge mistake to shut down the BAU for three full months. There are departments out there who need our help. We'd like to work this case but we'd be content not to if you'd just let us back on the job. Please take my petition under consideration," Hotch said, trying to contain his anger but getting louder as he spoke.

"First of all, Agent Hotchner, I suggest you calm down. I'm sorry, but the decision has already been made. I'll call you in for another meeting in three months but until then I expect you and your team to behave," Agent Strauss said, after which she opened up another file and made a "shoo-ing" motion with her hand. Hotch couldn't control his anger at this point. He jumped out of his seat and moved towards the door. He opened it and stepped out, slamming it as hard as he could when he cleared the jam. All of the secretary's looked up as Hotch stormed down the hallway and punched the button on the elevator with much more force than was needed. The doors opened and Hotch stepped in. He saw one of the 7th floor bureaucrats running to make the elevator but he quickly hit the "Close Doors" button. He could really care less about anyone but his team right now. His mind was racing and he felt a strong need to get to the hospital and tell his team.

Hotch got out of the elevator and started to jog through the lobby and out the door. He didn't know why but he was starting to feel a festering anger towards this building. It had taken almost everything from him and now it wanted to take his team and even his job from him. He knew that he couldn't let it, knowing that his team would agree with him. They needed to do one thing, whether it was working against orders or not. They needed to solve this case. Hotch was now relieved that he had left the casing at home and that he had taken all of the pictures that he did.

Hotch ran to his car and started it up. He pulled out of his parking spot and squealed out of the parking lot. He was going well over 40 miles per hour as he came up to the gate. He saw the look of fear in the gate attendant's eyes as the man rushed to press the button that lowered the concrete pylons. The man hit the button and Hotch just cleared the pylons as they sunk into the ground. He put his sunglasses on and then simultaneously put his lights and sirens on. Hotch couldn't care less about being disciplined now, how could they take anything more away from him. His one care in the world right now was his team and he was on his way to the hospital to fill them in on the news that he had just received. He had an easy way to do this, taking out his phone and pressing a button, ending a recording that had been going for the past fifteen minutes.

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(I'm so sorry it took so long for this update. I've been really busy with finals but it's over now and I should be able to start updating the story with greater frequency...)(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 9 to be up in about a week or two...)(Thanks for reading...)


	9. A Revelation

Chapter 9: A Revelation

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As Hotch approached the hospital, he flipped a switch near his right leg and the lights and sirens immediately came to a stop. He saw the entrance to the hospital and turned in, taking a ticket that gave him authorization to be parked there. As there weren't many people at the hospital, he was able to find a parking spot with relative ease, parking next to the SUV that Garcia had brought. He quickly threw his SUV into park, turned it off, and jumped out. He jogged across the parking lot, unable to control his anger and wanting to tell his team the bad news. As he reached the door, he took his sunglasses away from his eyes and slowed down.

He entered the hospital and was greeted by the sound of heart monitors, busy nurses, and sick patients. He kept walking until he got to the stairwell. Hotch opened the door and bounded up the stairs, taking two at a time. He got to the third floor and stopped to catch his breath and slow down, not wanting to startle his team into thinking that what he was about to tell them was any worse than it already seemed. He regained his composure and then opened the door, now walking calmly but with a purpose. He found the correct door with relative ease, having been there just the day before. Hotch walked in the door and was greeted by a cheer from his team.

"Well, well, look who decided to show up," Morgan said, the whole team laughing with them.  
"Yeah, you think that just because you're healthy, you can abandon the rest of us here," Prentiss chimed in, again getting a laugh out of the team. Even Hotch couldn't help but crack a smile. Despite his team's health, they were still their old charismatic selves.  
"I'm sorry guys. I was going to stop by this morning but I woke up late and I had to get to my meeting with Strauss," Hotch explained.  
"We figured Hotch, we were just giving you some crap," Rossi said from his wheelchair.  
"So, how is everyone feeling today?" Hotch asked looking around the room and taking inventory of everyone's condition.

Reid and JJ were still in there beds, although they looked much more lifelike today. Reid was holding his godson while JJ was trying to fix one of Henry's toys, still in her C-collar but with some of her bandages removed. Prentiss was sitting in one of the chairs in the room and had her bandaged leg propped up on the radiator in the corner of the room. Morgan was leaning against the wall by the window, throwing a tennis ball to himself with his good arm and Rossi was reading _Historia de excidio Trojae _in Italian. Finally, Garcia was typing away on her Blackberry, trying to hack into the hospital's network and expedite their discharges. Hotch couldn't help but smile as he leaned on the edge of Reid's bed. His team looked like quite the motley crew, between them suffering many injuries and yet still being so cheery.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we've had better days," Rossi said, looking up from his book and moving his reading glasses down a bit.  
"Yeah, we all want to get out of here and yet no one will tell us when we can," Morgan said, bouncing the tennis ball on his cast.  
"Do you know how many people catch an infection in hospitals every year? Most references place the number at a conservative 100,000 people. I mean, it's more dangerous for us to be here than it is for us to be at home," Reid said, causing the team to chuckle.  
"See Hotch, now your putting us all in danger," JJ said sarcastically, poking fun at Reid. The whole team laughed as Reid tried to defend his statistic, only to be defeated by another round of laughter.  
"So Hotch, be straight with us now, what did you learn from Strauss? Did you figure out when we're getting out of here?" Prentiss asked, steering the conversation back on track.

Hotch looked down for a few seconds, trying to gather his thoughts. The whole team got silent and looked at Hotch with an inquisitive eye, sensing that something bad was about to happen. Even Henry stopped to listen to what Hotch had to say. Hotch felt the eyes of his team on him and decided that it was time to present them with what he knew, starting from what happened the night before.

"Ok, everyone, I'm actually going to start from the beginning of this whole ordeal, something that began after I got released last night. After I left here last night, I went back out to Quantico to see if I could get a handle on what had happened. The place was still locked down and it took me a while to get in, but I finally was able to make it into the building. After I got in, I went back up to our floor and met an evidence tech. He told me that I could do whatever I wanted and that it was my scene for a while. So, I took about 120 pictures with my Blackberry, examined a few things, and headed out. When I got home, however, I realized that I had accidentally taken a shell casing from the scene," Hotch said, pausing to think about what he was going to say next.

"Hotch, I don't mean to judge, but you took evidence from the scene? That just isn't like you, accident or not," Prentiss asked, inquiring on behalf of what the whole team was thinking.  
"I know, I was just very stressed out and tired. However, this will come back as an important part of what I have to say later on," Hotch said, ready to continue his account.

"So, this morning I got up and got ready to go, fully intending to bring the casing with me to my meeting with Stauss. However, as was evident by the fact that I wasn't here, I woke up late and was in a hurry to get out of the house. In the hustle and bustle, I forgot to bring the casing with me, something that I regretted at the time. So, I drove out to Quantico and was let in by the gate attendant. Then, when I was looking for a spot to park, I found two black SUV's with crime scene tape around them. I had a few minutes so I jumped out and spoke to the crime scene tech that was processing them. He told me that it was fine if I took some pictures, so I got pics of the both VIN's and LP numbers on my Blackberry. After that, I went up to the 7th floor and had my meeting with Strauss," Hotch concluded, the team leaning forward in anticipation.

"So, what happened next?" JJ asked from her hospital bed.  
"I think that it's probably better if you heard it in it's entirety," Hotch said, puzzling the entire team.

He leaned down to Garcia and pulled out his Blackberry. She immediately nodded her head and went over to the single TV that sat above Prentiss. She took Hotch's Blackberry and fiddled with a few wires, finally turning on the TV. There was no picture but the sound of a door closing started the recording. Garcia turned up the volume on the TV and the team finally realized that it was an audio recording of the meeting that had transpired between Hotch and Strauss.

The team listened intently as introductions were made and niceties were thrown around. Then they sat back as Strauss started to talk about the events that had transpired the day before. As soon as Hotch heard that the revelation was coming, he dropped his head and waited for the reaction as Strauss recanted the evil words that "the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI be shut down until further notice". There was a gasp followed by silence as the recording played the sounds of Hotch storming out of the building and then came to an end. Hotch could feel the eyes of his team on him and lifted his head up.

"The - uh - They're not serious, right. I mean, Hotch, the BAU has been around since 1972. They can't just decide to get rid of it because we all took a few hits," Morgan said, still in disbelief.  
"As long as the director is on board, they can do whatever they want to us," Hotch said, knowing how defeated his team felt.  
"What if we took a pay cut or worked without pay until we finish this case at least?" JJ asked, trying to find a solution to the problem they all faced.  
"I asked, but there is no way they'll take us back right now, even with no pay," Hotch said.  
"And technically, this shooting isn't even a BAU case, as we haven't been called to assist in the investigation," Reid chimed in.  
"So what, we're victims of this. What are we supposed to do, sit back and do nothing for three months until they can our asses?" Prentiss asked, expressing the anger that the whole team felt.

This time it was Rossi who answered, instead of Hotch. While the team had been asking questions and looking for a way back in, Rossi had been sitting in his chair, looking out the window at the sun that set on the western horizon, and pondering.

"First of all, we aren't going to sit back and do nothing; and second of all, we're not going to get canned in three months," Rossi said calmly, the whole group looking at him with a puzzled look on their faces.  
"O....K......how do you suppose we do that? I mean, we have nothing," Morgan said while squinting one eye, an inquisitive look on his face.  
"What do you mean we have nothing?" Rossi said, continuing, "We have the 130 pictures that Hotch took, we have a shell casing, and we have something that no one else has," Rossi said, the team anticipating what he'd say next.  
"We have their profile," Rossi finished. The team sat in silence for a second before JJ chimed in.

"The funny thing is that we've taken cases where we have had less to go on," JJ said, feeling a new sense of confidence in their chances of finding out what happened. The team chuckled at this and then realized that she was right, having gone to so many cities where they have had almost nothing to go on.  
"So, how do we go about doing this?" Prentiss asked.  
"Well, the main thing is to keep from letting the FBI know what we're doing," Hotch said, formulating a plan in his mind.  
"Does it strike anyone as weird that we're talking about the people who employed us yesterday as someone who's coming after us?" JJ asked, the whole team nodding sadly with her.  
"Well, just remember that they instigated this and that we're just investigating a crime," Hotch said, continuing, "Ok, I have a rough plan drawn out. Tomorrow, I'd like everyone to meet at my house at 1100. At that time, we'll go over everything we have and everything that we need to get to start our investigation. After that, we'll proceed with the profile and the evidence and start moving our investigation along," Hotch said, the natural leader in him standing out.  
"There's only one problem," Morgan said from the wall, "we can't get out of here. We're still waiting for Strauss to sign our releases."  
"I'm in," came a voice from behind Hotch.

Garcia was typing away on rollout keyboard that she had plugged into her Blackberry. The team watched as she plucked away on keys and waited intently for her to speak again. She hit the enter button a few times and then looked up, smiling at the team that looked back at her.

"Well, the brains and beauty here was able to hack into the hospital's record system and have our discharges expedited and electronically signed by a cold, witchy woman named Erin Strauss," Garcia said, pointing to herself and eliciting a laugh from the group.  
"Babygirl, what would we ever do without you?" Morgan said, smiling from ear to ear.  
"Oh, you know that I'd never put my young, intelligent profilers through that," Garcia said, getting the group to laugh again.  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here before we get an infectious disease," JJ said jokingly as she helped herself into a wheelchair. The team was really laughing now.

The group helped each other with their crutches and wheelchairs and prepared themselves to leave. They came out of the room as a group and said thank you to their doctor as they made their way down the hall. They stopped at the office of the hospital and were all given the personal effects that they had had when the shooting occurred. They then made their way to the exit. The sky was already dark and the crisp autumn air bit at everyone's skin. They all stopped at the back of the SUV's.

"What does everyone think of just coming back to my place tonight? I think everyone is pretty tired and if we go back to my apartment tonight, everyone can go home and get their "Go" bag tomorrow morning while I get some of the basic stuff we'll need," Hotch said, everyone nodding tiredly in agreement.  
"Do you have enough room for people to sleep, though?" asked Morgan as he unlocked one of the SUV's.  
"It's a two-bedroom apartment so I have those two beds, two couches, and a few cots in storage if we need them," Hotch responded, unlocking his SUV.  
"Ok, let's move out then," Morgan said as he jumped into the driver's seat of one of the SUV's, despite having a broken arm.

Prentiss jumped into the passenger seat and Garcia climbed in back. In the other SUV, Hotch jumped in the driver's seat and Rossi climbed into the passenger seat. JJ and Reid sat in either sides of the back, putting Henry in the middle. The SUV's pulled out simultaneously and Hotch led the way back to his apartment. As they arrived, everyone jumped out and entered the main doors of the apartment building. They then took two elevator loads up, wheelchairs and crutches taking up a lot of room.

They all entered Hotch's apartment and Hotch got to work on getting sleeping arrangements to work. He put JJ and Henry in one of the beds and let Garcia and Prentiss have the other one. He then pulled out the couches, one for Rossi and one for Morgan. Although everyone insisted to give up their sleeping spot for Hotch, he refused and slept on a cot that he brought up from storage. Everyone finally got settled in and was thankfully able to get to sleep, although the impending investigation was still in the back of their minds.

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(I've heard from a few people that I should start updating a little more often :-) so I hope you guys all liked this chapter and I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holiday's!!!)(Hope you've enjoyed it so far...)(I live on reviews so please, please leave one for me...)(I'll try to update as soon as I can but you can expect Chapter 10 to be up in about a week or two...)(Thanks for reading...)


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