They had been working the case for a week. Six murders in Weehawken. They'd just arrived at the address Garcia had found for their unsub, Jonatha Zemo. Ex-Russian Mafia, fond of torture, efficient. They knew he would go down shooting. They were prepared for that. Morgan, Prentiss, and Hotch took the front door, Rossi and Reid going around the side. JJ was still talking to the parents of the latest girl, preparing them for what they might find in Zemo's house. There was a good chance she was still alive, but with the media picking up the story, there was no way to be sure he hadn't done something rash.
Morgan banged on the door, "Zemo! FBI!" No answer came from the other side of the door, only some vague shuffling noises. Morgan broke the door down without hesitation. He could see Reid and Rossi in his peripheral vision, but he was more concerned with what was right in front of him.
Zemo stood there, holding a gun up, level with Morgan's heart.
He raised his gun, "Put it down, Zemo."
"Or what?" His tone was taunting, and his accent was still thick, "You won't shoot me. You need me alive to find her."
Morgan's finger tightened on the trigger, "I said, put. It. down."
He wasn't in a position to realise the recognition in Reid's eyes.
In a split second, everything went to hell.
Zemo fired, and Reid dove in front of Derek, blocking his shot. Emily fired just after him, hitting his shoulder, and throwing him off enough so that Rossi could get him in cuffs.
None of that registered to Morgan. Reid was on the floor, crumpled, a worryingly large- and growing- puddle of blood under him. He dove for Reid, gently moving him onto his back. The bullet wound hit his left side, and, from the looks of it, had hit his lung.
Morgan called frantically for the medics, doing his best to stabilise Reid in the meantime.
It took five minutes for them to get there, but to Derek, it felt like a lifetime.
Reid was taken to the hospital, and Zemo to the station, where they were trying to get a location out of him. Unfortunately, he was being vague. They gave everything they had to Garcia, but she hadn't come up with anything yet. Morgan was pacing in the lobby of the station (he hadn't been allowed to go to the hospital with Spencer) and stressing JJ out.
"Could you calm down, Morgan? He'll be fine. You know he will."
Morgan shook his head, "You weren't there, JJ."
Hotch and Rossi walked into the lobby.
"We have a location."
The team immediately got into the cars and went to find Laura, every one of them hoping she was alive.
Morgan poured all of his energy into finding this girl. He raced around the storage areas, looking in every one of them, until he heard strangled whimpering from inside of one.
"Hotch! I found her!" He braced himself against the door as most of the team jogged up. They raised their guns, unsure of what all they may find.
Morgan broke down the door, and shined his flashlight on a girl, cowering in the corner, her hands bound and her mouth gagged, shrinking away from him.
He holstered his gun. "It's okay, it's okay, I'm FBI." Her body visibly relaxed, and he unbound her and picked her up, carrying her to the waiting ambulance.
They got back to the police station, and told Laura's parents she was in the hospital, before all sitting for a moment.
Rossi checks his watch, "It's late."
