Retaliation
Chapter 1
The Signing

"Without forgiveness life is governed by an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation" – Roberto Assagioli

David was having a pleasant day. After the recent harrowing events in which he and Aaron both almost lost their lives, the day was a welcome change. He didn't often get the chance to sit behind a desk and sign books, and it was nice just to sit and chat to the people who read his books.

Several times he had tried to do a signing session, only to be called out onto a case at the last minute.

Today was different though. Today Aaron and Spencer had come with him. They also chatted to the readers, particularly as Aaron and Spencer were mentioned several times in this his latest effort. Dave loved this work, the people were genuinely interested, and asked sensible questions.

He was still embarrassed by his smile. Several teeth had been damaged when he was beaten, and the orthodontist hadn't finished with him yet, but really he was lucky that there was so little permanent damage. Even his fingers were working, although not a hundred percent, certainly a good fifty. His eyelid was fine now, and as long as he didn't exert himself too much, the broken ribs didn't hurt too much.

He had been watching Aaron closely. Aaron was not one to let anything from stopping him working, and if he got tired, he walked with a pronounced limp. He had been told that it could be permanent, but Aaron chose to ignore that information. His hair had grown back where he had head trauma, and his hand was no longer bandaged, and so apart from the limp, he was on top form.

Aaron hadn't mentioned the words that Dave had uttered when he was so ill and thought he was going to die. He still loved Aaron but was happy with the status quo. If Aaron wanted to take it further, fine. If not, well, he had a perfect friend, and to his mind, that was just as important.

He looked over the group of 'fans' around the table, and smiled at them. There had been one reader who had become belligerent, and had to be escorted off by security, but he hadn't come back. But this time there had only been the one. There were those who objected to the content of his books, and very occasionally, these ones tried to take over. But just the one today. That was good.

He looked at Reid. Four young girls were crowding him, and Dave could see he was becoming agitated. He smiled again. He had hoped that coming to a book signing where he could talk about his work with people who were genuinely interested might help him with his self esteem, and help him to chat to strangers. But it wasn't to be. At least not today!

The pile of books was getting low, and his recently attached fingers were starting to hurt. He had some pain killing pills in the car, with some cream to rub in. He beckoned to Aaron.

'My hand's starting to stiffen up.' he said. 'I'm going to the car to fetch the cream and take a couple of pain killers.' he said. Aaron nodded, and Dave departed the brightly lit room to go to the car.

The car was parked a street away. The bookstore was right in the centre of town, and parking was at a premium. They were lucky to get this close. As he got closer to the car, he noticed that the belligerent young man was standing next to it, waiting for him. Now he knew why the man hadn't tried to get back in.

'Can I help you?' Dave said, opening the trunk without turning his back to him.

'I doubt that very much after writing this rubbish.' he replied.

'I'm sorry that you feel that way, Sir.' Dave said, trying not to get annoyed. 'But you don't have to read it.'

He retrieved the bag with the things in that he needed. He thought that he'd take some pain killers back for Aaron too, since it had been a long day for both of them. He wanted to get back to the bookstore as quickly as he could. He felt vulnerable out here unarmed, faced with a much younger man who in all likelihood was armed.

'I need to get back. If you are unhappy with your book, please post it back to me and I will refund you.'

'You can have it back right now.' he said and threw it at Dave. Dave put his hand up in front of his face and the book fell to the floor.

'I really must be getting back.' Dave said, and turned his back on the young man and took a step back along the road. The young man pounced on him, and Dave felt cold steel on his throat. He put his hands out in front of him, dropping the bag on the pavement.

'I have a job for you, Scum. You are coming with me.'

Holding Dave by the hair, and the knife not moving from his throat, he was guided to another car parked next to theirs. The man opened the passenger's door and ordered Dave in. Then he made him shuffle across into the driver's seat, and he got in beside him.

'Now drive.'

'Where to?' Dave asked, trying to stall him. The knife was now pressing against his side. He felt it press harder.

'Drive damn it.'

Dave pushed the lever into drive, and the car moved forwards.

-0-0-0-

Aaron looked at his watch. 'Dave's been gone a long time.' he commented.

'The car was a block away.' Spencer said. 'Was he definitely coming back, or was he going to wait at the car for us?'

'Well I thought he was coming back, but now you say that I'm not so sure.' He looked around the room. Most of the people had gone now, and the shop was closing in half an hour. It was dark outside. Maybe he did mean to meet at the car. Aaron packed the few remaining books into the box, and went and told the book store owner that they were going.

'David isn't feeling very well.' Aaron said. 'He'll be in touch.'

Aaron and Spencer stepped out into the night air. It was polluted and dirty, being in the middle of the city, but it felt good to be out of the store. Dave had done well today, and he was likely asleep in the car.

They walked together back through the street. The last few shoppers scurrying to get to the shops before they closed. Aaron knew that he was limping badly, but for today he wasn't an agent with the FBI. He wasn't armed, although he carried his credentials. He was just a guy out walking in the early evening, and it felt good.

'There's the car.' Reid broke into his reverie. 'And I can't see Dave.'

Aaron frowned in puzzlement. Maybe he was lying on the back seat, although he doubted it. Reid ran the last fifty yards to the car. Aaron quickened his pace.

'He's not here.' Reid called to him.

Aaron looked in the car in surprise. He went round the back of the car and picked something up. t was a copy of Dave's book. There was also a bag that contained amongst other things, Dave's pain killers and cream.

'He has been here. The bag is out of the trunk.' Aaron carefully put the book back where he had found it. 'Something has happened to him.'

Reid stooped down and looked at the bag and book on the ground. 'He wasn't armed.' he said. Aaron was on the phone to the CSU. He covered the mouth piece. 'Have you got any crime scene tape in your bag?' Reid nodded, and began to tape off the area.

-0-0-0-

Pretty soon the area was swarming with CSI's processing the scene. There was little to be learned, but hopefully there would be some prints on the book. Dave didn't have a book with him when he left the book store, so presumably, the book had been left by the UnSub. The book was carefully placed in an evidence bag.

'Let me know as soon as you have anything.' Hotch said. It wasn't a request. When the CSI's had gone, and taken the car back to the lab, Hotch and Reid called a cab to get back to the BAU.

'Call the team, Reid. We need to get started on this one.'

-0-0-0-

The young man held the knife steady at Dave's waist. The point was through his clothes, and he could feel the tip of the knife pricking at his skin. He tried to pull away as he drove out of the city. The roads were dark and deserted. He tried to engage the young man, but the knife pressed harder.

'I don't want to hear you, Scum. Drive or I'll kill you here.

Dave did as he was bidden. He had no idea where he was going. This area was pretty much uninhabited, apart from the odd scattered farm houses and out buildings. He guessed that it would be to one of these he was going to be taken.

Suddenly the man said, 'Stop here.'

Dave pulled the car over to the side of the road and put the car into park. The man opened the passenger's door and started to get out. For a moment the knife wasn't pressing against Dave's waist. Now was a chance he might not get again. He pushed open his door and ran from the car. He heard the man following him.

Dave was hampered by not knowing the terrain, or where he was. There were trees and low bushes that seemed to grab at him from the darkness. The man was getting closer, and Dave tried to find the road where he could maybe outrun the man.

But it was no good. Dave had lost his bearings, and he fell as a low branch whipped around his legs. He turned onto his back as the younger man pounced on him. Dave saw the knife flash in the faint moonlight, as the man brought it down onto him.

-0-0-0-

The BAU team, minus David, was sitting around the table in the conference room. Aaron was explaining what had happened. He was fully armed now, and ready for action, and Reid carried his revolver on his belt.

'He was gone for about thirty minutes by the time we reached the car.' Hotch said. 'His book was on the ground, dropped there by the UnSub. He had dropped the bag with the meds in. The CSU have these and are trying to get prints off them. Hopefully there will be prints on the book.'

'Has anyone tried to contact the man at the signing who caused the trouble and had to be thrown out?' Prentiss asked.

'We don't have a name, but Reid and I will get the police artist up here, and see if we can come up with a face, and Garcia might be able to run it through her facial recognition program.'

'I'll visit the nearby shops.' Morgan said. 'There might be some surveillance tapes we can take a look at.'

'Good idea. Take Prentiss with you.' Hotch said.

Reid was on the phone calling the sketch artist to come up to the BAU. The team dismissed, and Hotch and Reid sat and waited.

-0-0-0-

Dave cried out as the knife cut through his clothes and dug deep into his upper arm. He felt the blood almost immediately flow down across his shoulder. The man pulled the knife out and raised it as if to bring it down again. Dave crossed his arms in front of his face. The knife cut into the soft flesh of his fore arm. Then the man got up, and pulled Dave up with him.

'Don't try to run again. Next time you won't get up again.'

The man pushed Dave in front of him, pressing the bloody knife into his back. Dave nursed his cut arm across his chest. It was bleeding, but he didn't think fatally. The man was holding Dave's shoulder and pushing him with the knife. He knew his way between the trees along a narrow path. Dave could feel the trees on either side snatching at him as he passed through, the young man never moving the knife. In the darkness, Dave could make out a small building in the trees. It was towards this that Dave was steered. he stumbled on, blood wetting his chest as his arm bled, the knife pressed into his back, an iron like grip on his shoulder.