Lengthy Author's Note:
My mom has been sick for a couple weeks and my mind has just been…not here. I know I'm starting another story. I'll return to all of them in time. This one should be fun. I need fun right now with a touch of horror.
Reid's consciousness has been abducted and it up to the team to go deep into his mind and save him.
Nightmare Hunters
During her weeks of little sleep while Reid was incarcerated, Garcia didn't notice the name "Bella Tor" on the visitor log. If she had, she would have noticed the names combined as "bellator" would mean "warrior," in Latin. But she didn't and it was one mystery Garcia wouldn't bother considering when there was so much else to worry about.
…
The woman came in dressed in a muted red, not quite pink, blazer with matching pants, and a cream blouse. Her curly red hair was piled up in a neat bun. With a string of pearls and black kitten heals, she could not look more business-like if she tried.
Reid didn't look surprised to see her. They both wordlessly sat down.
"You're not dreaming," the woman stated.
"It is kind of hard to in here," he said sharply.
"Clear your mind as I taught you," she stated.
"You don't think I've tried that?" he said angrily. "I'm just trying to remember what happened to me eight days ago when I was awake but drugged."
"I know you're frustrated," she said calmly. "But we still need you."
"Does the world really need me to be developing theorems in my sleep that badly?"
"You underestimate the need for your ideas in the universe."
"I will try, but I make no promises," he said.
"You will get through this," she said firmly.
"Then help me remember," he said desperately. "Use your abilities."
"You know I can't," she said in a gentler tone. "There are rules."
He slammed his palms on the table.
"Damn you," he said angrily.
She started to get up. "Try to clear your head at night and dream. Hopefully I'll see you in the dreaming."
He snorted. "Sure."
…
Prentiss was getting dressed. They had run her through a barrage of tests and only found a mild concussion and bruised ribs. J.J. had two broken ribs plus several major contusions. Rossi needed stitches above his left eye. Alvez's ear drum was blown and three of his fingers were broken. Lewis was sprayed with shards of glass. Walker had it the worst and was in a drug-induced coma for his injuries.
It was midmorning by the time she was able to enter his room. It was awful. She had just gained back one team member was now on the verge of losing another. It didn't seem fair.
J.J. approached her.
"It seems like we can't catch a break," she said.
It started to pour outside his window. "Why is it the world so set against us sometimes?" she asked.
"I don't know," J.J. said. "But something has got to give."
There was a lightning strike followed by thunder that shook the windows.
Rossi appeared. "Any new leads on Scratch?"
"SWAT found the house covered in detailed notes for Cat Adams about how to access the prison where Reid would be staying and how to lure Lindsey into the scheme," Prentiss said.
"Well that answers one question and leaves a million more open," he said. "Lewis should be out soon. They just pulled out the last fragments of glass."
J.J.'s phone rang. She looked at the number. "It's Spence."
"Probably wondering what is going on," Alvez said as he appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, Spence," she said.
"Is this J.J.?" Diana Reid asked.
"Yes. What is it Mrs. Reid?" she said switching to speaker phone.
"It's my son. He won't wake up. He won't wake up!"