Sophie Troy, the wife of a Congressman Benjamin Troy, goes missing and the BAU are called in to investigate. The BAU director tasks them with looking into the case even though she's only been missing for 12 hours - which doesn't qualify as a missing person's case.

The organized crime unit informs the BAU that there may be a link in the case, involving some low-level members of a Russian crime ring. They play a recording of a few of them discussing a kidnapping.  The two FBI units agree to join forces.

Reid goes to the organized crime unit's stakeout where they've been monitoring the gang's apartment. There, he meets Agent Dorian Loker.

Madison Young -- a reporter -- shows up at the BAU with a flash drive containing a ransom message. She requests an exclusive interview with the Congressman.

The message is that a ransom of $20 million has to be paid by midnight or else Sophie Troy will be killed.

Morgan and JJ address the kidnappers through the media, offering to do anything to ensure Sophie's safe return.  They say that they need proof of life and an open means of communication. 

Reid and Loker overhear a conversation with the Russian mobsters, who are indicating surprise at the $20 million dollar ransom. They were under the impression it was to be for two million.

Congressman Troy receives a call at the BAU from a man named Victor, who offers proof of life from Sophie. Troy asks Sophie where they went after dinner on their first date. She says they went for a walk. At Hotch's urging, Troy asks her to tell him the name of the park. She is cut off before she can reply. The answer is Rock Creek Park.

Morgan goes to Garcia to get information about the congressman's brother Paul Troy. She says that he was arrested six months ago for embezzlement while working for a restaurant. According to police records he needed the money to pay back money to Russian organized criminal drug dealers. The charges were dropped.

Paul tells Morgan that he owed the mob $32,000. He says he received a loan from a friend who he doesn't want to identify. He eventually tells them his brother gave him the money, and that he did so to keep him quite about the Senator's affair with an intern.

Garcia tracks down the origin of the kidnapper's phone call. The address is an unleased warehouse near Rock Creek Park.  The team and the SWAT team rush to the location but find it empty except for a box containing a severed ear.

Garcia determines that the kidnappers wanted the BAU to find it.

While Hotch interviews Congressman Troy about his relationship with Michelle Golovin (the intern), Morgan and Kate interviews Michelle as well, who tells them a completely different story.

Troy says that he met Michelle back when he was single, and that he broke it off with her the day after he met Sophie.

Michelle says that they had a strong relationship that never ended, and that he only married Sophie in order to advance his career.

Troy says he visited Michelle last night because she threatened to commit suicide if he didn't.

Reid and Loker overhear one of the Russian mobsters attacking their cleaning lady. Reid wants to go and stop him but Loker tells him he'll blow their case if he does, and Sophie will be killed.

When Kate gets Michelle to confess that she had unprotected sex with the congressman the night before, she asks her to submit to a medical exam to prove it. She declines, which makes them believe that Michelle is the liar, not the congressman.

Reid and Loker overhear the Russian mobsters accusing their cleaning woman of spying on them. It seems they're going to kill her. Reid rushes over to stop them, but Loker stops him.

It turns out the cleaning woman was actually the lover of one of the mobsters. He shoots and kills his partner in order to save her.

Reid tells Rossi that he believes the unsub is a female. They theorize that it might be the congressman's mother.

They interview his mother, and offer their theory: that she contracted with the mob to have Sophie killed, and was going to pay them $2 million, but that they changed the terms and instead wanted to ransom her for $20 million.

When Hotch and Rossi threaten to charge the congressman for having an unregistered weapon and with the intent to murder his wife, his mother calls the kidnappers to end the hit.

The organized crime unit get to them just in time to save her.

Reid asks Loker out for a coffee -- in Russian.

The congressman visits his mother in jail. He at first condemns her for what she did, and she apologizes. Then he tells her that her plan worked, and asks how he should proceed from here.