"And what makes you think that you or Tyler is going to survive this?" Zoe's words chilled Reid right to the bone. Sure he'd been in life-threatening situations before but never had he so harshly been face-to-face with his own mortality. The blood from his arm dripped onto the floor, creating a puddle.

"Zoe," Tyler coughed. Reid noticed with worry that he had grown noticeably paler. "It's not his fault, just-"

"You be quiet," Zoe ordered. She pointed the knife at him threateningly. "You have helped quit enough." Tyler coughed and spat a mouthful of blood on the floor. Reid took a breath and looked at Tyler, trying to remember how long someone could survive with a gunshot wound in their stomach. He thought that Tyler had an hour, at best. Zoe had to slip up soon.

"Zoe," Reid said slowly. "Killing Tyler will not make the FBI let Jake go. If you let him die than the FBI will not let Jake go." Zoe narrowed her eyes coldly. Reid's arm and leg were throbbing but his situation was not as serious as Tyler's.

"Well I can't just let him go," Zoe scoffed. "He's the reason all you're damn fed friends are here."

"You don't have to let him go. Just let someone come look at him and treat the wound." Silence filled the room as Zoe considered the options. Reid held his breath, if she refused this offer than Reid had no more cards left to play.

"Fine," Zoe said. "Try anything funny and I'll kill Tyler and whoever else comes through that door." Reid swallowed and nodded as Zoe picked up the phone.

~

Outside the FBI and the local police were trying to figure out a point of entry that wouldn't result in the death of Reid or Tyler.

"We can't go barging in the front door," Hotch said tiredly to a grizzled police officer who didn't seem to understand why. "The minute we try to get in that way she won't hesitate to kill Reid." The police officer grumbled something but feel silent.

"Do we know the state of Tyler?" Sheriff Jones asked.

"Zoe shot him," Prentiss replied. "Beyond that we don't know the extent of his injuries."

"Reid's been injured also but we don't know the extent of those injuries either," Morgan said. He was pissed and felt guilty. It was his fault that Reid was in this situation. If he hadn't told the kid to split up than Zoe and the others wouldn't have been able to grab him. He could feel JJ's eyes on him and guessed that she knew what he was thinking.

"Could we get a sniper to shoot through on of the windows?" Deputy Jonathan Riley suggested.

"To risky, " Hotch replied, shaking his head. "The curtains are closed and judging by the thickness of the glass a sniper would need to fire at least two shoots. One to break the glass and a second to take out Zoe."

"Looks like we're going to need to rely on negotiating," JJ said. Hotch's phone started ringing.

"It's Zoe," he said before answering it. "Hotchner."

"Hello Aaron," Zoe said. "I have decided that you may send in one person to look at Tyler so that he doesn't die before I want him to."

"Tyler is still alive than."

"Yes, why would I have you come look at a corpse?"

"Alright we'll send in someone. Is there anything else that you need?"

"No. I don't want to see any cops or feds near the door though and no guns. If they have a gun, I'm killing them." The connection went dead.

"She's letting us send one person in to make sure Tyler doesn't die," Hotch told the others as he put his phone back in his pocket.

"Did she say how Tyler was injured?" Prentiss asked. Hotch shook his head.

"I'll go," Morgan volunteered.

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked. Morgan nodded. He had experience dealing with gunshot wounds when he had served in the military and then as an agent. Plus he wanted to be the one to make sure Reid was alright.

"Alright. Go get a med kit and leave your gun." Morgan headed over to the SUV's, JJ hot on his heels.

"You know it's not your fault," she said softly as Morgan took off his gun and holster.

"Of course it's my fault," he replied. "I told Reid to investigate the hall, I gave him too few of men to do it with. There was no one to watch his back." JJ looked at him sadly.

"Reid is an FBI agent, he can look out for himself."

"Yeah, but it's my job to watch his back and I failed. Now he's stuck in that shack with a crazy women and it's my job to get him out in one piece." Morgan picked up the med kit and walked back over to the others, leaving JJ by the SUV.

~

Zoe was pacing back and forth in front of the door, tapping the gun against her leg. Tyler was still slumped across from Reid in the chair that Zoe had thrown him in. Blood leaked slowly from in between his fingers. Reid couldn't stop his leg from bouncing. He was trying to figure out who would be coming through the door.

It wasn't going to be any of the police officers or even Sheriff Jones. It also wasn't going to be JJ, Reid thought, she doesn't have enough experience yet to be going into to the middle of a hostage situation. Hotch would be the most likely choice but Reid figured that the head of the team would remain outside the shack to call the shots and figure out a plan of entry. Rossi was the next member of the team with experience but Reid would rather have Rossi working on a way into the shack with Hotch. That left either Morgan or Prentiss. Reid thought it could be Prentiss because she was excellent at compartmentalizing and reading the situation without letting her emotions cloud her judgment. However Reid hoped that it would be Morgan. Reid hadn't known Prentiss as long as he had known Morgan for. Although Prentiss was as good of an agent as Morgan was and had proven it Reid did not have as deep a friendship as he had with Morgan.

A knock on the door interrupted Reid's thoughts. Zoe stopped her passing and, holding up the gun, pulled the door open. Morgan entered, his hands raised, the med kit slung over his shoulder. Reid felt a rush of relief. Morgan offered a small smile as Zoe pointed the gun at him.

"Who are you?" She asked as she patted the sides of his pant legs, looking for a gun. 

"Derek Morgan," Morgan replied. His voice was even and his face expressionless.

"Let me see the bag." Zoe turned the bag upside down, dumping the contents on the floor. "No gun, good. Tyler's over there." Morgan nodded and picked up the supplies, casting Reid a sideways glance.

"You okay kid?" He asked quietly as he knelt by Tyler. Reid could see him eyeing the two stab wound with concern.

"Yeah," Reid replied. That wasn't entirely true. Both wounds were still oozing blood and they were still throbbing.

"No talking," Zoe snapped. Morgan treated Tyler's wound as Zoe watched him with narrowed eyes.

"Tyler needs serious medical attention," Morgan said.

"He's not leaving. Now finish up."

"Hotch is working on a plan," Morgan said quietly as he wrapped an ace bandage around the gunshot wound. "Just don't get shot before we can get you."

"I said no talking!" Zoe screeched. She stormed over to the agent, raising the gun.

"Morgan look out!" Reid yelled a warning. Morgan looked up and ducked as Zoe tried to pistol-whip him. Reid pulled at the handcuffs as Zoe spun towards him, grabbing the back of his hair, yanking his head back.

"How does you know him? Who the fuck are you?" Zoe growled. She placed the gun underneath Reid's chin. "Tell me or I'll kill him now." Reid squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to panic. Morgan glared at Zoe.

"SSA Derek Morgan of the FBI," he replied.

"SSA? What's that?"

"Supervisory Special Agent." The grip on Reid's hair tightened causing him to let out a squeak of pain.

"Goddamn feds," Zoe snarled through clenched teeth. "Get out." The gun dug into Reid's neck. Morgan didn't move his muscles tense.

"Let Reid go," he said. Zoe stuck the gun in the waistband of her jeans and undid the handcuffs, pulling Reid out of the chair. Morgan took a step forward but Zoe stuck the gun back under Reid's chin.

"Get the fuck out or I swear to god." The gun was digging into Reid's windpipe making it hard for him to draw a breath.

"Morgan," he choked out. Zoe was itching to shoot someone, Morgan was right by the door and had a chance to leave before Zoe pulled the trigger.

"Take it easy pretty boy," Morgan said evenly. His eyes were locked on Zoe's. Reid knew that it was hopeless to try and get the other agent to leave.

~

Outside Hotch was staring at the shack. His face unreadable but it was merely a mask that he had perfected over the years. It had saved his life a few times. Don't let the killer know what you're thinking and don't let the police know that you're unsure. Hotch's thoughts were in turmoil. Two of his agents were inside that shack, both unarmed, with a mentally unstable women. He was out of ideas. Luckily they had given Morgan an earpiece before he had gone inside. Now they could at least hear what was going on in the shack.

"Morgan look out!" That was Reid. Hotch leaned towards the speaker.

'What's going on?" There was a sharp cry of pain from Reid and then Zoe was yelling.

"She knows Morgan's an agent," Prentiss said worriedly. Her hand drifted to the gun at her hip.

"Tell your men to be ready to go," Hotch told Sheriff Jones. "If Zoe decides Morgan is a threat than we need to be ready to make entry." Jones nodded and went over to her police officers.

"Sounds like she's devolving," Prentiss said as the agents listened to the exchange between Morgan and Zoe.  

"Let's go," Hotch ordered.

~

"Get the fuck out!" Zoe yelled. She tightened her grip on Reid's hair causing him to wince in pain. He was no longer restrained in the chair but the situation was hardly looking good. Zoe was devolving quickly and had the gun jammed under Reid's chin. If she decided to pull the trigger there wasn't going to be anything Reid or Morgan could do about it.

"Zoe," Morgan said. He had raised his hands as if to show he meant to harm. "Put down the gun and let Reid go." There was a shuffling sound from were Tyler was sitting out of Reid's field of vision.

"How about I shoot him and then you," Zoe snapped.

"You're surrounded by the FBI," Morgan replied. "Even if you did kill Reid you wouldn't stand a chance."

"How about you fu-" Zoe started to say. There was a scuffle and Reid felt himself being pushed sideways. He tugged loose of Zoe's grip and spun to see what was happening, nearly falling as his weight was placed on his wounded leg.

Tyler was grappling with Zoe for the gun. His surprise had given him the upper hand but now his wound was slowing him down. Zoe wasted no time in elbowing Tyler in the stomach. He fell writhing in pain and she pointed the gun at him.

"No!" Reid cried. He took a step forward and stumbled. Zoe pulled the trigger and Tyler went still. Morgan appeared at his side, steadying him with a hand to the arm.

"This is your fault!" She yelled. Zoe raised the gun, pointing it at the two agents. There was a loud bang and a yell as she pulled the trigger.

___________________________________________________________________

So...... How much do you all hate me???

This a bleated birthday gift from me to you. (Yesterday was my 19th birthday :) ) I went and saw Wicked, absolutely amazing!!!

Anyways.... Just a few more chapters left, probably somewhere between 2 and 3 at this point. After I finish this story I'm going to go back through and fix any grammar and spelling errors that you have pointed out.

Once again I want to say thank-you to you, my ever loyal fan who have stuck through my endless cliff hangers and annoyingly long waits between updates.

Don't forget to comment and vote!!!

<3 InkHeartCM