The cottage in the middle of the old plantation was nearly dark when Tobias Hankel first made a few small, slow steps, then stopped in the middle of the room as deadpan looked at the young man tied to a chair.
It had been two days, even a little over two days and Reid was completely destroyed. He was haggard, his entire body ached, partly from how he was forced to sit still in the same position, both by handcuffs and also from the beating. Because Hankel beat him, prodding him drugs, scared to death and just a few minutes ago he caused a heart attack and then brought him back to life using CPR. And now came up with a new way worse torture.
Hankel be stared at him and asked him about his team, he asked him how many members of his team has. Then he began to quote Revelation. And finally ...
"Tell me whom you serve."
Reid slightly, almost imperceptibly lowered his head and looked up to him. "I serve you," he said quietly, afraid of it, with the Hankel come. Because something in his expression told him that what comes next will be worse, much worse than anything that had happened to him for the last two days .
And he was right.
Hankel gave him a hard look, and dark tone he said: "Choose one has to die.
"*^*"
Emily looked at the young man had time to like, even though he knew only a few months, and knew that if he can not save them, never with acquiesce.
The young man was simply too young, too innocent to having to suffer like this, trapped in a room, tortured violent psychopath, lonely and scared to death. He was too young to make after the psychopath could ask to chose which of his colleagues should die. It was just fair.
But as Emily knew life simply is not fair. And usually it will carry the ones who do not deserve it.
She watched as the young man's eyes widened sheer terror when he realized what she wants Hankel and thought that it might have happened if with him here instead of JJ went to her, because she would not allow to be divided, would not allow the Reid something happened, he would not have ...
But did not go with him.
And if something was pretty sure then that if Reid not manage to find the time to end your life, stop regretting that remained on the station while he went to that house.
"*^*"
Reid stared at him for a second and could not believe his ears. Hankel did not really suggest ...?
"What?" Gasped in shock and stared at him wide-eyed.
No. This could not be real. It could not happen. It was crazy, terrible and he could not understand. Could anything. Mastered by torture, mastered by even the drugs, mastered by anything up to and could not continue, it would just die, proud that he won and did not give up, let it break.
But this? He could not ... could not ...
Could not wish for him to choose which of his six colleagues, which of the six people on whom he but his mother cared about most in the world, will die instead. Are you willing to die for each one of them and knew that they would die again for him.
And it could not happen.
Hankel raised his eyebrows, as if he thought that the young man did not understand what she asks. "The members of your team," he said by way of explanation, a calm, even voice. "Choose to die."
"*^*"
Gideon stared at the boy, whom he loved like a son, and he knew it was his fault.
It was all his fault, because, first of all, it was he who suggested Reid to join the FBI. And it was he who had the management of their office forced to Reid accepted as an exception, even though he was still too young and barely got through the physical tests.
It was his - Gideon - error, what happened to him because he messed up this world and made him stay there. It was his fault because Gideon still forgetting that while Reid courageous, intelligent and incredibly talented, he's still just a child. Child who is afraid of pain and loneliness, solitude. Child who is always willing to sacrifice not only for them but for everyone, although he still afraid of monsters that can hide in the dark. Child, which for him has seen so many horrors, what no child should not see.
Child, to which these horrors will never forget, because they simply can not.
He took a deep breath as he looked at the screen, his throat tight. He knew he would himself nevypravil of a word, even if he had to. Before his eyes dark.
Say something, Spencer. Choose someone.
"*^*"
There was no need to think about it, because at that there was only one answer, under any circumstances.
"Kill me," he Hankel.
He tilted his head slightly to the side and above the bridge of his nose wrinkle appeared to frown at his answers. "You said that you are not one of them," he growled in frustration and his voice came again, like a stab of anger. Yeah, it definitely sounded like anger, although fairly well hidden behind the awesome, cool indifference.
Reid swallowed and still looked up to him with those big dark eyes. "I lied."
Because he was one of them. He was one of them belonged to them. A must have to protect them if it was in his power.
But that did not stop Hankel, rather it's even more pushed them to stand up for their.
"Your team has six members. Tell me, who dies. "
"*^*"
Garcia looked at how one of her six beloved děťátek suffering, her eyes wide with terror.
No, it was not possible, because the world could be so horrible, scary unfair. There had to be some justice, right? Something that would guarantee that the sweetest, most innocent people will almost always get into mortal danger, right?
So how was it possible, how it was possible that he was in the room with an unknown as far as possible, that was tied to a chair, disarmed and defenseless and scared to death and that he was their damn unknown kept in captivity?
And now he wanted to make him her miracle child, heard confessions! As though Reid had no reason to confess to someone. As would ever hurt anyone ...
She swallowed tears and for a moment she was grateful for Gideon that he has his hand on her shoulder, knowing that it otherwise would not make it. She needed to feel that there, in front of that screen, unable to do anything, not alone, because otherwise it would be crazy.
Disbelief through the monitor glared into Hankel and mentally cursed when Reid asked to chose one of his team should die and the young man said to him, either kill him. After a tear slid down her cheek.
This could not be true. I just could not. It must have been some crazy dream.
And she certainly wake up any minute, Morgan she will laugh that she fell asleep on duty, but Reid will be there with them and everything will be fine.
Definitely.
"*^*"
He wondered how this turns out. He did not want to think about it, because this could only end in three ways. One of them was that his team knows where it is, and come to save him - and it was very unlikely - or he breaks and gives Hankel what he wants. Or the last.
And he had to endure in order to protect his family. Because of this they were, his family.
He did not want to die. He did not want to die and this, what happened to him, what he did Hankel was not fair. He was innocent after all, never hurt anyone, actually save lives, or at least they tried, did nothing for which he deserved to die. It was just at the wrong time in the wrong place.
He looked Hankel face. "No," she replied firmly.
Hankel did not move a single muscle in his face and he just without hesitation, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a revolver. Blindly put one bullet into the cylinder and then it turned before it clicks into place and Reid pointed a gun at his head.
Reid stared motionless into the mouth of the gun, and his head was on a brief moment of utter emptiness.
A Hankel then spoke again, again by almost monotone, from which the young man shudder. "Choose and prove that the will of God."
"*^*"
JJ looked at the young man, which - although it was only a few years older than him - behaved very strong maternal feelings and knew that it was now tied to a chair in the back room, she caused.
She split with him. She let him go, he wanted to check Hankelův house, had to do something to stay with her, together with her waited until they arrive Hotch and other team members. It can quickly deal with those dogs should go with Reid in the field, instead of circumventing the house on the other side, it ...
She trembled all over and felt her spine running down icy trickle of sweat. Injured arm ached, but it really oblivious, because all he could think about was Reid. The nejobětavější and most innocent person he has ever met. The last one who should suffer.
But he suffered a tear to her heart.
She had something to do, something to prevent this, anything ... Anything to now not have to look at how the man now goes to Reid's arms and asks him to pick someone else has to die.
Please select someone. Choose me ...
But she knew Reid. And she knew that he would never do.
"*^*"
Reid shook his head as he tried to evict you from the mind of statistics about the probability that a person survives Russian roulette. It did not matter.
It did not matter, because whether it be in any way, whether Hankel pull the trigger times as you want, it does not matter. Because the charge in the cylinder is. Somewhere. Maybe that Reid gets it at the first stroke, perhaps during the last. There was a difference.
Because eventually it gets.
He straightened in his chair, pull up to a height in order to pretend that the Hankel no fear, but it did not work, partly because all his muscles were stiff, and partly because of the handcuffs.
"No."
Hankel pulled the trigger and the gun clicked empty.
This chamber was empty.
Reid closed his eyes and took a long breath. How much is the shot load increased the likelihood that this time it will be a bullet?
"Select."
"*^*"
Morgan watched Reid's head on a gun pointed, and he knew that the young man can not help.
He looked at the young man who had over the years become a best friend, a brother he never had, but always wanted for him. Younger brother, who was weaker and smaller than himself, and so it was necessary to protect, care for him, taunting him, but they hurt him, not to him that he leaves at night lit the lamp on the bedside table, and sometimes it wake up from nightmares, when, during an shared hotel room, and then hold him in my arms until it calms down. And he did all that and did not like it because he never met anyone with whom you would have understood more than with a little strange and the strange, inexperienced, shy and sometimes too trusting and naive genius.
He winced when the gun clicked empty. That bastard with Reid - with all of them - played. He gave up a single revolver bullet, leaving Reid to choose, how many times gamble than break and do what is required of it.
Morgan knew that if he gets into the hands of Hankel kill him. Without thinking. Without mercy. And without remorse.
He looked at the monitor and biting his lip. Reid ... He knew that the young man must find. He must find and rescue before it's too late. We must get him out of the room, out of the chair. A must get him out of here alive.
Do as he says, Reid, listen to him ... Choose ... Please.
Morgan breath hissed through his teeth. We'll get you out of here, Reid, I promise.
"*^*"
Hankel stared into his eyes and tried to find some for Charles, even a small trace of Tobias, but there was none. Right now Charles had the upper hand.
Reid took a deep breath and could not resist the idea that it might be the last time.
"I will not," he said, and never left it a look.
Revolver again just clicked and Reid at the sound only with great effort defended twitch.
He was still alive.
He looked at the Hankel and his gaze for a second, almost unconsciously slipped to the camera, looking into it, just briefly, just for a silly second and thought about what they are doing and what they think about the other members of his team. He knew it all into a single reproach. He knew they were looking at a record that Hankel sends to your own computer that Emily is upset that JJ thinks that it might have prevented that Garcia probably crying that Morgan blames himself could not protect him, Gideon that he thinks that all this was only his fault and that Hotch ... what actually thought Hotch?
On what he would like to Hotch thought?
"Life is a choice."
"*^*"
Hotch looked at the young man, which - as already afraid to admit - he loved more than anything in the world, and knew that if it collapses if any of them breaks down, never find him. No time.
Not enough time for it to still be able to help him.
Wordlessly staring at the monitor, which they now ensured only connection with Reid, one hand clenched in a fist so hard that her fingernails digging painfully into the skin palm, his teeth clenched and his lips pressed into a thin line, because I was sure that when they authorize, the tears.
Because he could not come for him, he could not lose him, not when he never said how much he actually loves how much worried about him when he is not with him.
He had never felt such hatred as now, when he looked at Hankel, who headed Reid weapons between the eyes. I never felt such terror as now, when twice he heard the gun clicked empty when Hankel pulled the trigger. Never in themselves felt so much love, as he was now looking at Reid, destroyed, bound and helpless, but still brave and resistant.
We must find him, simply a must. Just one more clue, Reid ... Just one and I will come for you, I swear.
He knew that if the man actually fired, Reid just will not die, but he, because he could not imagine how there could not go on living if the young man came. If he had been so cruelly snatched from his life.
For God's sake, Reid, tell him what he wants to hear! Please ...
"*^*"
The tears stung his eyes, but still retained his confidence and faith in what you need to do.
"No," he repeated, his voice slightly trembling.
The third blow came up empty. That left only three and one of them is the real one, the one that sends a bullet against him and he sweeps her head.
It was not fair. He was young and knew he did not deserve to die, certainly not in terms of how to justify Hankel. He did not want to die, so why would he be here, tied with several fresh bruises in the crook of the elbow from the way he lived Tobias fucked in Dilaudid? Why should he be held here in this cottage, in this chair, naked, tortured and scared? Hurt anyone. He just wanted to live and maybe, just maybe help someone else's life better. Find someone who loved him, someone would be happy, someone could stay until death. Hotch finally say that it is in love with him. Nothing more from life did not.
It was not that much, right?
No, It was not so much what he wanted in his life yet to achieve. But apparently it was more than he deserved by Hankel.
The man looked at him coldly. "Vote for," he said again.
How many chambers still remained in the cylinder revolver? Three? Two empty and one with a bullet? One to two, that this was really the last one?
He did not want to die. But when he gave Hankel choice when it urged to place themselves chose someone else, someone else from the team, someone who should die instead of him, he could not. It did not work. These people, all of them were his family. He loved them because they were the first people in his life who took him for what he was, and loved him. They were the first - in addition to his mother, of course - to whom it really mattered. He knew every one of them would immediately offered his life in exchange for his.
And that was exactly what he now does for them.
Therefore, again, the fourth time that evening, shook his head slowly, convinced that what he does is right. "No."
Hankel pulled the trigger and shot rang cottage.