Potomac General Hospital – Evening

Hotch, Rossi and JJ burst through the door weaving and dodging the sea of slow moving, aching and sick patients waiting to be seen. The news had come after a much-needed night out with the team relaxing, acting silly and drinking way too much. Their last case in Dallas had drained them all and pushed each one of them to the brink of their tolerance levels.

Now they were rushing to see about one of their own who'd become a victim of a sadistic attack. Their evening of gathering together to forget had suddenly crashed and burned dragging them to the realization that there was no place to run from evil and no one even them were immune from its touch.

Hotch rushed to the nearest nurses' desk and pushed his way to the front not carrying how inconsiderate it may have seemed.

"Spencer Reid!"

The over worked frazzled clerk looked up and her face softened at the FBI credentials now within inches of her nose.

"He's in Exam room one…"

Without as much as a, 'thank you,' the three rushed down the hall leaving the clerk in mid sentence.

"Sir! You can't go in there!" She yelled.

Just as Hotch placed his hand on the door a nurse came out and blocked his way preventing them from going any further.

"We need to see …"

"He's being examined by the doctor and as soon as he is finished he'll be out to see you."

Hotch took a step back looking at the nurse intently not satisfied with her answer.

"Now, please sir, why don't you all wait in the waiting room down the hall. Someone will be out to see you shortly."

The nurse turned and entered the room closing the door behind her. Hotch, Rossi and JJ looked silently at each other and headed toward the crowded and noisy waiting room.

Just as they had settled into chairs the familiar clacking of heels raced toward them. Garcia wide-eyed and near hysterics entered the room.

"What happened? She shrilled.

JJ gently grabbed her hand and guided her to the seat next to her. Pushing her neon green glasses up on her nose she waited for an answer to her question.

"And where's Morgan?"

"We've called him but we keep getting his voice mail." Rossi answered.

"Guys, they were together! Morgan gave Reid a ride home!" Garcia added.

Momentary silence held the group until finally Garcia as usual spoke out loud what the rest had been afraid to say.

"Do you think something happened to him too?"

"Could this have happened after Morgan dropped him off?" JJ asked.

"The police said he was found about a block from Mar's where we were eating." Hotch answered.

"That means they would have been together." Rossi began. "Morgan and Reid were the last to arrive; probably had to park down the street because the lot was full."

None of them liked what this all could mean. They still were waiting to hear about Reid but they knew he'd been brutally attacked and was unconscious when he was bought in, alone. The police had ruled it a mugging and had not mentioned another victim. This wasn't good and they all knew it. Morgan was a force and he'd risk his own life to protect Reid. The average man would have a hard time taking Morgan down which meant more than likely it was more than one person involved in the attack. They had to find their friend soon…before it was too late.

A tall thin man dressed in green hospital scrubs came through the door. The concerned strained look on his face bothered the profilers as they stood to face him.

"Spencer Reid?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm Agent Hotchner." He began and then pointed to the others. "Agents Rossi, Jarreau and Penelope Garcia. How is he Doctor?"

"Well, he's taken quite a beating." He began. "He has two broken ribs; one dangerously close to puncturing a his left lung. He also suffered several lacerations on his face some requiring some stitches. He also has a concussion that has us worried."

"Worried?" Garcia asked.

"Well he was unconscious when he was brought in and he's showing no signs of coming out of it."

"Will he be okay?" Rossi asked.

"It all depends on when he wakes up or if he wakes up."

"What are you saying doctor?" Hotch asked.

"The sooner he wakes up the better. All we can do now is wait."

"Can we see him?" Hotch asked.

"We're getting him settled in ICU now; give us about twenty minutes and you can go in but just for a short while please.

"Thank you Doctor." Rossi added.

The group watched as the doctor left and they stood dejected not knowing what to make of it all. They had just been together enjoying each other's company and in a flash it seemed they were all gathered again because one of them was hurt and another was missing.

"What about Morgan?" Garcia's voice trembled as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Morgan fought through the darkness and pain that held his body captive. He wanted to wake up and to open his eyes and remember the last few minutes of his life. Wherever he was it was cold; bone chilling cold.

Finally he was able to push through awake and trying to sort through the cloudy events of the evening. He still couldn't move and as he became more aware he realized that his arms were shackled together with heavy chains that gave him very little room to move beyond his place on the hard concrete floor.

It hurt to breathe and his head screamed out into the darkness yet in spite of how he felt he remembered that he and Reid had been together walking toward his car. But where was his friend now? Was he here somewhere? He pulled against the chains to no avail. It was so dark, he hated, no, he feared the dark…where was he?

He continued to pull against the chains but he was secured tightly to a large ring bolted to the floor. Each pull sent a shock wave of pain through his body but he didn't care his priority was to get free and find Reid.

The squeaky sound of a lock being released stilled him. The sound of heavy boots forced him to look up and into the eyes of pure evil.

"Hello Derek! Welcome home."