Here's a new fic for you guys! Based on the TV show Criminal Minds! None of the characters or content belong to me! Enjoy! Leave me a fav/follow/review!
Hotch's eyes shot open.
He was somewhere dark, somewhere unfamiliar. His eyes quickly assessed his foreign surroundings, memorizing every detail.
Three questions immediately crossed his mind:
1. Where was his team?
2. Where was he?
3. Who did this to him?
His hands patted his body, assessing for any injuries. He seemed fine.
Hotch found his footing and stood up swiftly. He was hit with a small rush of dizziness, but he brushed it off. His hands felt for objects in the dark. Behind him was a cold wall made of plaster. His back had been resting against it when he came to. The floor felt like hard and rocky like cement. Something dripped in the corner, the acrid stench made Hotch sure it was sewer water. A bolted door faced him.
A small red dot blinked in a corner by the ceiling. A camera. This confirmed his suspicions. He was kidnapped.
He needed to find a way to alert his team, to get a message to the BAU-
Somebody groaned.
Hotch stiffened. That voice sounded familiar.
Another groan as someone regained consciousness, "Oh…wait…what the-"
"Morgan?" Hotch rushed towards the sound. He felt strong shoulders in the dark. Morgan instinctively reached out and grabbed Hotch's arm as a reflex. He relaxed once he realized it was his boss.
"Hotch, is that you?"
"Yes, are you alright?"
"I think so," Derek nodded. Hotch's eyes were adjusting, "I can't see a damn thing."
"It's okay, it will take a few minutes."
"What is this place?"
"A cell. Floors of cement, walls of plaster. Bolted door. Basement level."
"Basement level?" Morgan thought, "Oh, right - the water."
The dripping water meant they were below sewage pipelines.
"No contact from the kidnapper?" Derek slowly rose to his feet.
"Nothing yet, I'm hoping for-"
"Whoa-" a new voice spoke up, "where-where are we?"
"Emily?" Derek and Hotch crossed the room towards the sound. They found Prentiss coming to as well. Both male agents helped her stand, steadying her as she held her forehead.
"Are you hurt?" Hotch pressed.
"No," she said, "just a bad headache. What is this place? What are we doing here?"
"I don't know…my memories are all so fuzzy." Derek growled under his breath.
"It's okay," Hotch cooled him down, "we'll figure it out. In the meantime, the three of us need to stick together-"
"Make that the four of us…."
"Reid?" Derek's eyes widened and he circled the cell, trying to pinpoint the location of the young doctor.
"Here…" Derek crossed the room and knelt down by Spencer. Reid was lying against the wall, trying to shake away his grogginess.
"Reid, are you okay?" Hotch called.
"Yeah, I think so," Reid cleared his throat. He held the wall as he shakily stood upright, "is that the last of us?"
"I think so," Hotch nodded as he stood by Prentiss, "my eyes have adjusted. I don't see anyone else."
"Hopefully that leaves Rossi, JJ, and Garcia back at the BAU," Emily affirmed, "we need to find a way to contact them."
"We've been stripped of our phones, badges, weapons, and other belongings," Reid felt his pockets, "just left with the clothes on our backs."
"That'll have to do," Hotch said firmly, "everyone, observe your surroundings. Let's try to get as familiar as we can with our situation."
"The door is secured like a bank vault, there's no way we're getting out through there. We already know the walls are made of plaster and the floor is cement," Morgan spoke, "Hotch, you confirmed it."
"We can't dig our way out then, but I'm sure with enough force we can ram down these walls. They are made of plaster after all," Prentiss piped up.
"We're basement level. There are pipes in the corners dripping sewer water in here," Hotch shook his head, "we can't dig, and if we ram the walls we might compromise the structural integrity of the cell. We're underground, we'll get buried under the rubble."
"There's a camera in the corner too," Reid nodded upwards, "Big Brother is watching."
"I thought we were supposed to be Big Brother," Morgan scoffed, "whoever he is, he hasn't made contact yet. He could be waiting for something."
"Yeah, but what?" Prentiss asked.
"What's the last thing we remember?" Hotch pressed.
All heads turned to Reid.
"Hmm," the young doctor closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, "let's see. We were all working late at the office. If I recall correctly, JJ went home to look after Henry, Rossi was meeting a former colleague, and Garcia was going to have date night with Kevin. We all stayed behind and kept working."
"Right," Morgan nodded, "I remember now. I was looking over a kidnapping case."
"It was late, around midnight, when I was getting ready to leave," Reid continued, "Morgan, you were walking out with me. I-I think we had just made it to the parking lot when someone came at us from behind…"
"Yeah," Derek nodded, slowly remembering, "It was a sedative of some kind. I felt something sharp prick my shoulder."
"It's still a little fuzzy," Emily spoke, "but what you guys are saying sounds familiar. I remember walking out the doors, but never making it to the car."
"Mine was a similar situation," Hotch said definitively, "the unsub attacked us in the parking lot, that much we can make clear."
"But why not hit Garcia, Rossi, and JJ?" Morgan asked, "They exit the same parking lot we do."
"Maybe the unsub arrived after they left," Prentiss reasoned.
"Reid," Hotch looked to the young doctor, "what time did the others leave the office?"
"If I remember correctly, around 10:00-10:30 PM."
"That means the unsub must have arrived between 10:30 PM and midnight," Emily nodded. Some pieces were falling into place.
"A sedative is quick and efficient. To use chloroform would require strength due to a struggle with the victim. Our unsub is probably smaller in stature and not as confident in his methods," Reid explained thoroughly.
"Good, so we can take him," Morgan flexed his fists.
"Settle, Derek," Hotch cooled him, "we'll find a way out."
"Hopefully soon?" Reid said shakily, "I, uh…I-I don't really like the dark."
"Right," Hotch nodded. He vaguely remembered the young doctor having a slight phobia of it, "we have an idea of our surroundings and profile of our unsub. With those, we have a good possibility of getting out of here."
"How do we contact the BAU?" Prentiss asked, "Do they even know we're gone?"
"Man, we don't even know if it is day or night!" Derek shouted in frustration, "We could be anywhere!"
"It's a difficult circumstance, but we can get through it," Hotch said firmly.
"Should we knock the camera out?" Prentiss' eyes darted to the corner of the room.
"That's the only form of communication we have with the unsub," Reid reasoned, "I say we leave it be."
"But what if the unsub sees or hears our plans?" Morgan raised a questioning brow.
"We're going to have to take that chance," Hotch looked at his agents, "Reid is right. Without it, we have nothing."
"Okay," Morgan agreed, "but we need to do something. What is this guy waiting for?"
"If he's watching his victims, he's getting pleasure out of something," Reid commented, "but what?"
"Does he want to watch us…die?" Prentiss said in a small voice.
"No," Hotch emphasized the word sternly, "nobody is dying."
"He's right, Emily," Morgan gripped her shoulder reassuringly, "we can't think like that."
"Back to Reid's theory," Hotch quickly changed the subject, "what might he be enjoying about this? What are we doing that satisfies him?"
"He's kidnapped four federal agents," Reid huffed, "I call that a criminal accomplishment. It could be related to a power complex, to satisfy his ego knowing that he can control our fate."
"We catch criminals for a living. To him, catching us is probably a definite confidence builder," Prentiss pursed her lips.
"Good," Hotch nodded, speaking in a low voice to prevent the unsub from hearing, "we can use that against him. We need to seem vulnerable, to make him think he has complete control over us. As we mentioned before, the fact that the unsub used a sedative and not chloroform indicates a smaller male. He's self-conscious and unsure of himself. He'll slowly build more confidence then react if we make ourselves seem weak."
They all nodded subtly as not to alert the unsub.
Prentiss initiated their plan. She spoke loudly, loud enough for the feed to pick up their audio, "This is ridiculous, Hotch! You are our leader, get us out of here!
Perfect, she wanted the unsub to think their was disunity and friction between them.
"I didn't hire you to complain, Emily," Hotch's tone was scalding, yet his heart clenched with guilt for yelling at his trusted agent, "you should be able to navigate your way out of a challenging situation with ease. If you can't, I suggest you resign your position as a federal agent."
"Now hold on!" Reid inserted himself into the fake argument, "Let's say only one of us can make it out of here. Who do we choose? I personally think it should be me."
A brilliant play by Dr. Reid.
"Wait a minute now," Morgan tutted, "if anyone should be getting out of here, it should be me!"
"Why you?" Emily sized up Morgan, "Why not me? Or Hotch? He has a wife and kid."
"We've all got families," Reid pitched in, "but I'm obviously the smartest one here. If I escape first, then I can come back for you all. It's the most logical choice."
"And who says you will?" Hotch raised a challenging brow, "Who says you won't just leave us here to die and save yourself?"
It was blatant to all of them that the young doctor would never do that, but it was good material for the unsub.
"You may be the smartest, but I'm the strongest," Morgan countered, "I can fight our way out if I escape first."
Almost there…any moment now…
"Enough! We can go round and round in circles like this," Emily prepared the perfect set up, "but obviously the unsub has beat us. He outsmarted us, he was too good."
That did it.
Hotch silently applauded her.
A voice like a snake hissed over the loudspeaker, "I couldn't have said it more perfectly myself, Agent Prentiss."
Hotch eyed all of his team members. A silent message passed between them: listen, observe, look for clues for the profile.
Prentiss did her best to make her voice shake and sound fearful, "Can-can you hear us…?"
"Of course I can," the unsub purred, "there is no reason to be afraid, dear one."
Emily wanted to vomit in disgust.
"What do you want from us?" Hotch asked firmly.
"Time will tell, Agent Hotchner, The first trial has nearly begun."
"Trial?" Morgan questioned, "What are we being tested for?"
No response.
The unsub didn't like that question or didn't want to answer it.
"Looks like he's done talking," Hotch focused on his team again, "quick, call out what you remember."
"An older male by the sound of his voice. No slang words, proper grammar. Educated," Reid quipped.
"Good," Hotch nodded, "what else?"
"He said 'dear one', like a father figure or a protector," Morgan recalled.
"That coincides with our power complex profile," Emily nodded, "he thinks he is above us, so he has the capability to protect or guide us, like a guardian."
"He mentioned something about trials. I don't know what they can be, but we need to prepare ourselves," Hotch warned the group.
"The unsub refused to answer what he might be testing us for," said Reid, "but I don't think it's because he didn't feel confident enough."
"Now he's too confident," Morgan scoffed, "he feels more powerful since he's holding the strings of this operation. We can't see him and we have no contact. This is his world, he can answer if he pleases."
"Right," Emily sighed, "but how are we going to contact the BAU? Who knows what these trials may be, we need the back up, we need to get out of here."
"We'll figure something out when the opportunity arises," Hotch affirmed, "right now we focus on what these trials are and how we can use the materials at hand. The profile is our greatest weapon."
"Wait, guys," Reid shushed the group, "does…does anybody else hear that?"
The four fell quiet instantly.
A faint hissing noise echoed through the dark cell.
Hsssssssssss.
Like the sound of a leaky gas pipe.
"Oh no," Emily gasped, "It's knockout gas!"
"Quick!" Hotch started to shed his suit jacket. He pressed the black fabric against his nose and mouth to delay the effects of the gas, "Where is it coming from?!"
"Over here-" Spencer coughed. He was closest to the pipe.
Morgan pressed his nose in the crook of his arm and pulled Reid away from the pipe. They crowded against the farthest wall as a white mist started to cloud the air.
Prentiss was covering her noise with the collar of her shirt. Her heart was beating fast. The room was becoming foggy. Hotch was to the right of her and Reid to the left. Suddenly, her left side felt cold. Reid slouched against the wall, the gas starting to take affect.
"No!" Morgan's yell was muffled. He crouched down by the young doctor, shaking his shoulder, "Come on, kid! Stay with me!"
Reid was closest to the pipe when the gas started to spread through the cell. He didn't have protection against the chemicals and was starting to go unconscious.
"Morgan!" Hotch shouted at him through the jacket, "Is he okay?!"
Prentiss watched in dismay.
"I…I…," Reid's eyelids fluttered, "I think I'm going to sleep now…"
Spencer's head lolled forward against his chest. He was out.
Morgan began to cough. When he crouched down by Reid, he let his arm go from his face. He was exposed. Derek's vision was beginning to get blurry and he staggered.
Prentiss felt her legs get wobbly and an overwhelming urge to sleep overcome her. She slid to the floor. E numbly felt Hotch grab her arm to try and pull her up, but she was succumbing to the
Hotch started to feel the effects. He knealt down and tried to press his jacket against Emily's nose and mouth to prevent her from inhaling anymore gas. She was nearly unconscious. Exposed to the air, Hotch felt his legs start to give out from underneath him. He blearily fell to his side, fighting to stand.
The white mist engulfed the entire cell now.
Morgan fell forward, by Reid's feet. His eyes were fighting to stay open.
Prentiss' head fell on Spencer's shoulder.
Hotch lay on his back, facing the bolted door of the cell.
The door opened.
A dim light poured into the dark cell.
A figure wearing a gas mask walked inside the room. The unsub.
He closed the distance between the federal agents and the doorway.
Hotch tried with all his might to sit up, to no avail.
The gas mask stared right down at him before moving forward towards the young doctor, Spencer Reid.
The unsub pulled Reid's listless body forward, dragging him by his arms out of the cell.
Without the support of Reid's shoulder, Prentiss dropped to the floor. Morgan's last sight was an unconscious Reid being pulled outside of their cell to the unknown.
Hotch reached forward with his remaining strength, trying to grip Reid's converse sneaker in an effort to pull him back. His fingers barely grazed the sole. He watched without hope as one of his team was being dragged to something unkind and unpleasant, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.
Hotch's head hit the floor and the world went black.
Chapter 2 coming soon!