I don't own Criminal Minds.

Chapter 1

"You're next… Spencer Reid."

The ominous voice echoed from his phone speakers. Doctor Spencer Reid swallowed a moment, before regaining a working mind set.

He had to rack his brain to try to remember how he came to the situation of watching a young man, about his age, be tortured then murdered. He'd gotten an email, sent to his phone, from an unknown sender, he unconsciously opened it, not knowing that the video that was inside was a man's dying moments.

He was, of course, disturbed by it, but the message at the end sent him over the edge. "You're next… Spencer Reid." The killer knew his name, he was a target. He was next.

"Reid?" JJ asked as she walked into the break room.

"Huh- yeah?" Reid stuttered as he shoved his phone in his pocket. He didn't know what the video was, but he wasn't getting anybody else involved.

"You look… Sick." JJ said as she walked up to him.

"I didn't get much sleep last night." He lied.

JJ looked him over for a second before shrugging and began making herself some coffee.

"So, find any new leads?" He asked, trying to turn the conversation towards the case they'd been working on.

"Not much. But we found out the killer has abducted somebody else." JJ informed him.

The case was rather grim. A masked man was kidnapping males and females in the young adult range to torture and kill them. They'd just begun on the case and where looking for ways to find out more about it.

"Male or female?" Spencer asked.

"Male." JJ said grimly.

Reid blinked. It was probably only a coincidence, but he couldn't help but wonder if the video he just watched was one of the boy they were talking about.

"I'll be right back." He said before jogging out of the break room.

"Where are you-" Was all JJ got out before he shut the door.

Spencer jogged down the hall and called Penelope Garcia, tech extraordinaire.

"Speak, young prodigy." Her voice echoed as she picked up her phone.

"Would you happen to be able to send me a picture of the recently kidnapped boy, and possibly reach his email records?" He asked.

"Sure thing, may I ask why you want to see his emails?" She answered as she began typing.

"I believe the kidnapper might have sent him a video." He replied, waiting patiently for her answers.

"Alright the pictures been sent to your phone." Garcia said as she began her search for the kidnapped boy's emails. "Viola, there they are. Let's see…" She began as she scrolled through his emails. "I have a video sent to him on June 15 3:00, four hours before he was kidnapped."

"Would you happen to know what's in the email?" Reid asked.

"Hold on, I'll just open it…" She mumbled before a small gasp came from her end of the line.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's- it's a video… of a girl being murdered." Garcia whispered.

"I thought so… thank you Garcia." Reid finished before hanging up the phone.

He pulled up the picture of the kidnapped boy on his phone and examined it closely. It was definitely the boy from the video.

Reid shoved his phone into his pocket and ran into the conference room where the rest of the team, aside from JJ, was.

"…we need to assume that this person is still alive." Hotch finished as Reid stepped in.

"He's not."

Everybody in the room turned to him, "What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

"I have a video of him being murdered." Reid said grimly.

"What?" Morgan exclaimed, standing up from his chair.

"It was sent to me."

"Let me see it." Gideon said as he walked over to them and took the phone.

Reid didn't watch the video but heard the sound as the team watched. Gideon was about to hand it back to him, but the killer's message began, "You're next… Spencer Reid."

Morgan's head shot up to look at him, "Why didn't you mention the threat?!"

"It wasn't as important as the boy being killed."

"Yeah, but you could be the next person being killed." Prentiss argued.

"I didn't think about it like that." Reid stated, adjusting the messenger back on his shoulder.

"This is definitely the boy." Hotch muttered, handing the phone back to Reid.

"And Reid is supposed to be next." Gideon grumbled, rubbing his hand on his face.

JJ walked into the room, "What's going on?" She asked, as she'd only caught the last part of the conversation.

"The killer is sending death threats." Gideon muttered.

"When do I have to get him?" A small voice asked, trembling.

"When I tell you too." A rough voice replied, rather harshly.

"Are you going to have to kill him to?" The younger voice asked.

"If he doesn't get the message across." The man answered.

"But most of them do."

"Shut up, nobody ever gets the correct message across."

"Why don't you just do it then?"

"Because, the people need to know! Not just me."

"Assign some body guards for Reid." Gideon ordered JJ as he turned and walked out of the conference room.

"I don't need body guards Gideon." Reid insisted.

"You do if you want to stay on this case." Gideon said turning around.

Reid didn't argue, he never liked being taken out of a case. Gideon nodded and continued out of the room.

"Did the boy that was kidnapped before get a video too?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, I already checked with Garcia." Reid answered.

"How long did the unsub hold James?" Hotch asked.

Reid felt a little guilty, he never took the time to learn the boy's name, "If my calculations are correct he held him for 18 hours or less. He went missing around seven pm last night, and the video was sent to me today at two pm."

"And what about Shirley?" Hotch asked.

It took Reid a second to realize that Hotch was talking about the girl kidnapped before James, "About the same time period."

Hotch nodded, "And none sexually abused?"

Reid shook his head.

"That's strange. It's usual for kidnappers to rape their victims, why is this one any different?" Prentiss inquired.

"Because it's not his motive." Morgan answered.

"And none of them looked alike?" JJ asked.

Hotch shook his head, "He doesn't seem to have a type."

"I think I'm going to go speak with Shirley's parents later, see if they know anything about a video being sent to her." Prentiss said.

"I'll go with you." Reid said.

"You're not going anywhere until we assign you some body guards." Hotch pointed out.

Reid sighed, he didn't want this holding him down.

"He's with me, I won't let anybody hurt him." Prentiss said.

Hotch looked over to Prentiss, trying to make a decision. "Alright, just… be careful."

"There! Do you see him!" The older man said as he pointed to the young man exiting the federal building.

"Yeah." A smaller voice answered.

"That is the one you will retrieve."

"What's so different about this guy than the rest though Tom?"

"This one will last longer."

"Then you won't kill him?" The weak one asked, a little hopeful.

"I'll spare him if he does as we ask."

"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Tyler?" Prentiss asked as an older woman answered the door.

"Yes, who are you?" The woman asked.

"I'm Special Agent Emily Prentiss with the FBI," She said, flashing her badge, "And this is my college Special Agent Doctor Spencer Reid."

"What do you need?" The woman asked, opening the door a little more.

"We'd like to ask you a couple questions about your daughter if you're able to answer." Prentiss said.

The woman looked at the two of them a moment before nodding and letting them in.

When they sat down at the kitchen table with the woman Prentiss began asking questions, kindly but in an authoritative manner. "Did your daughter ever have any enemies?"

"No… No, Shirley was very well liked, she had no enemies." Mrs. Tyler said, holding back tears.

"So she never received any threats?" Reid asked.

"What? No, not that I know of." Mrs. Tyler answered, becoming alert, "Why, was there a threat?"

"We believe your daughter received a video… a video of…" Prentiss fumbled with her words.

"A video of somebody being murdered…" Mrs. Tyler whispered, looking down at the table.

"Y-yes," Prentiss said, surprised, "How did you know?"

"She told me… Oh my God, she told me, and I didn't listen!" Mrs. Tyler's tears began to flow, "Sh-she told me she got an email… an email of somebody being killed. A-and I told her it wasn't real, that that kind of thing doesn't happen! I… I should've listened…."

"It's not your fault Mrs. Tyler." Prentiss soothed. "Anybody would've reacted that way."

"But now Shirley's dead." Mrs. Tyler sobbed out.

"When did you last see her?" Reid asked.

"Me and her went to the movies together… that was the night she disappeared."

"What happened?" Prentiss asked.

"The last time I saw her… A young boy, about 16, asked her if she could help him find his way to the train stop."

Prentiss glanced over to Reid to see him stand, pushing buttons on his phone. "I'm going to go outside and call Hotch." He whispered.

Prentiss nodded, before realizing the fault. "Wait-"

"It's okay Prentiss, it'll only take a second." Reid assured her.

Prentiss pursed her lips before nodding, "Just don't… Don't die."

Reid smiled a little, "Don't worry."

He stepped out of the house and shut the door quietly behind him. He looked down at his phone and speed dialed Hotch.

"Hotch." He greeted through the line.

"I think the unsub is luring the victims in." Reid said quickly.

"How?"

"I think he uses a ruse to lure the victims in, then… well kidnaps them."

Prentiss walked out of the house briskly, "Mrs. Tyler said the boy that Shirley spoke with was timid and sounded shy."

"That probably means it's a partnership" Hotch said through the phone.

"Or a good actor." Prentiss added, shaking her head.

Hotch hung up the phone with a click.

"Agent Prentiss!" Mrs. Tyler called from the door.

"Yes?" Prentiss said turning around.

"I think I could give you a description of the boy."

"Really? That's great-" Prentiss began, before hearing a loud thud crash off the right of them. "What in the…" She muttered walking over there.

Reid followed close behind her, hand on gun. There was a movement on the other side.

Prentiss walked slowly towards the trees, "FBI put your hands where we can see them."

"Get up!" A gruff voice urged.

"Stop moving! Put your hands up!" Prentiss repeated.

There was pounding of feet, Prentiss ran into the trees and saw two people running away. She lowered her gun in defeat, "Damn it."

"Hey, it could've been anybody." Reid assured her.

Prentiss shook her head and walked back towards Mrs. Tyler, "Sorry ma'am, could you give me a description?"

Mrs. Tyler glanced at the trees once more before nodding and began her description of a young boy with light blond hair, tall, and pale.

"I think it's a partnership." Prentiss said as the stepped into the car.

"And if who we saw where the unsubs… then they might be revisiting the homes of their victims." Reid said.

"Or following their next." Prentiss muttered.

"They almost got us!" The man yelled.

"I-I'm sorry!" The younger pleaded.

"Sorry isn't good enough when you're in jail Dalton!"

"I know… I'm sorry…"

After a long pause the older said, "It's time."

"No, please! I don't want to."

"You need to take control!"

"I- I don't want control."

"No, but you need it, because when I'm gone, you're all by yourself."

"Does that mean I have to kill people though?"

"Dalton, the message must be sent."

"And this one can send it?"

"Possibly."

"Anything?" JJ asked as Prentiss and Reid stepped out of the car.

"We've got a possible description of one of the unsubs." Prentiss informed.

Prentiss and JJ walked quickly into the building, but Reid stayed behind a moment. He looked around, noticing the cover of thick clouds beginning to form, rain was a for sure. He glanced over to the side of the parking lot. A man with binoculars was sitting behind a bush, not even trying to look inconspicuous. Reid furrowed his brows before walking quickly towards the building.

"Reid!" Gideon called from behind him, on the other side of the parking lot.

Reid whirled around, "Yeah?"

Gideon walked towards him, "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Reid said quickly, casting a glance to where he saw the man before. He was gone. Reid swallowed and looked back to Gideon, "Do you want to step inside?"

"Sure."

As the day went on they found James's body under a bridge.

"Reid let me see that video again." Gideon said.

Reid pulled out his phone and handed it to Gideon, opening the video.

Gideon watched the video and began to look at the surroundings. "It looks like he's in a barn, or old cabin."

"How can you tell?" Hotch asked.

"There are lines of light in the wall. Obviously meaning that it's wood, but old. This person lives somewhere rural, able to do anything he wants, no matter how loud." Gideon said.

Prentiss quickly dialed Garcia. "Speak."

"Garcia, could you get a map of rural Georgia for us?" Reid asked.

"Anything for you baby boy." She said as she typed

"Can you find any rural areas around where we're located?" Hotch asked.

"It looks like… there is a very large area of unpopulated grounds about 15 miles from you."

"Thanks Garcia." JJ said, hanging up.

"That'll take hours to search." Prentiss groaned.

"Maybe we don't have to… if the video was sent to me at two pm today and the sun was shining through one of the slates in the wall it showed it was sunset or morning…" Reid said, thinking out loud.

"Meaning he didn't send the video right away." Hotch finished.

The team broke off to try and work on their projects.

Reid worked for a while longer until he felt extremely suffocated in the room he was occupying. He stepped into the dark parking lot, and let himself take a deep breath. This case was frustrating and killing him. Everywhere he went he hit dead ends.

"Um… Excuse me sir?" A small voice asked.

Reid turned and saw a young boy, all he could make out was that he was tall and pale.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me." He asked.

"What do you need?" Reid answered.

"My friends and I were out tonight and we were walking to my friend's house, but when we got there she said she had to pick up the pizza, but she never came back."

"Are you sure she didn't just go home?" Reid asked.

"I'm sure, we've called her and we went to her house and the pizza place… but I just can't find her and I'm really worried."

"Hey, it's okay…" Reid began.

"Dalton! I found her! Hurry she's hurt!" Another voice yelled from the trees.

The boy, Dalton, quickly turned and ran towards the trees. Reid ran after him on instinct, but when he was about to run into the wood Dalton disappeared.

Reid skidded to a halt only a few feet into the woods, looking around. "Dalton?" He called.

Suddenly the side of his face stung and he was flung to the side. "Tie him." The unknown voice from earlier ordered.

"I- I don't wanna." Dalton stuttered.

"Then get out of here! Get in the car!" The man whispered furiously.

Reid blinked rapidly, trying to gain consciousness. Shit my cheek. Suddenly his arms where jerked behind him and hands bound, and his ankles where pulled together tightly bye rope.

"You need to gain some pounds skinny kid." The man said, slinging Reid over his shoulder.

Reid's world spun as he was flipped upside down. He was moved quickly towards the far end of the parking lot. He racked his brain to find a way to alert his team mates of his sudden departure. He felt around his back pocket for his cell phone. Feeling extremely relieved when he saw he had it he pulled it out and searched for his power button. Finding it, he pressed it, knowing it powered on he let his fingers press the buttons for Gideon's speed dial.

"Gideon." He answered, the voice a bit louder than Reid had intended.

"What the hell!?" The man carrying him yelled.

"Gideon! I'm outside in the parking lot! Hurry!" Reid yelled before the phone was smacked out of his hand.

The man carrying him began to run.

"Gideon! Hotch!" Reid yelled as he looked up to the federal building.

"Shut up!" The man ordered.

Reid saw the front door fly open before being thrown into a trunk of a car. "Gideo-" Was all he got out before the trunk slammed shut.

Gideon heard only the beginning of his name from the other side of the parking lot, "Over there!" He yelled to Hotch as they ran across the parking lot, only to see a black sedan peel away.

The two looked at the car in complete horror as it sped away. They were speechless… they couldn't save him.

End of the first chapter! It may be a bit messy but it's getting exciting so I'm freaking out.

Thanks for reading and please review~ ER