Messages and Phone calls.
!!I support the 2007 WGA STRIKE!!
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.
They drove in silence. Again Reid sat and stared out of the car window and Emily sat next to him wondering what was going on inside the young profilers head. She knew this was freaking her out, so how was he dealing with this? He had a strange way of coping with things.
Trent Fipps lived in a big studio apartment. He was a city lawyer. Good money, good home. His boyfriend had found him when he came over wondering why he wasn't answering his cell.
He was sprawled on his front on the bed. Fully clothed. Odd socks again - this time one yellow and black and the other green. His right arm was hanging over the side of the bed with the sleeve obviously rolled up and the needle stuck in at a strange angle. Again it looked like the needle had been placed there afterwards for effect. His left arm was bent and above his head of wavy brown hair.
"It says here that he was found by his boyfriend. Are all the victims gay?" Emily was looking at Hotch.
"That's an unknown. JJ is checking it out."
Reid again stood staring at the set before him. "This unsub is very organised. To be able to set the stage so well and to do it so many times in one night. This is either more than one person working to orders, or someone who has been planning this for a long time."
Emily turned to look at Reid. "Does this mean anything to you Reid? You said you had been to that bar before, what about this apartment?"
Spencer shook his head. "No I have never been here before. Not until now." His eyes locked on the body of the young man on the bed. "This makes no sense. Why do this and send the messages to Hotch? Who is the threat for? Me or Hotch?"
"I just think you need to be over cautious Reid. I don't want you going anywhere alone." Thoughts of what happened to Elle flew through the memories of all but Emily.
He nodded slowly. "One more. The address is just around the corner." And turned and left the apartment.
Morgan looked at Hotch. "I will stay with him tonight if you want. Unless you wanted to but someone has to."
"I will arrange to have a marked car outside too. Where has he gone?" They looked around to see Reid was not there anymore.
"I told him to stop wandering off!" Derek ran out in the direction of the next scene "Reid! Wait"
Spencer walked in a dream down the stairs towards the ally way where the body of Larry Lamburg was still laying. He could faintly hear Morgan calling him. He ducked under the yellow tape flashing his badge at the police standing around.
The officer looked up when he saw someone coming and did a small almost un-noticeable double take.
"Dr Reid." He muttered as he flashed his badge again and stood looking at the crime scene. He felt a hand on his back and heard Derek's voice again.
"Stop running of kid." And a sharp intake of breath.
Larry was in a dumpster. He was fully clothed and curled up as though sleeping. The sleeve and the needle the same as the other victims. His head was tucked in and the hair covered what small amount of face which might have been seen.
Reid stepped up to the dumpster with his latex gloves on and looked. Derek was sure he heard a small whimper.
"Hey Reid, you don't need to be doing this. Hotch will understand." A hand tight on Reid's shoulder.
"I can still do my job. This is just a game." But Spencer looked very shaken and as he turned to walk away Morgan was sure the hand across the eyes was to wipe away a tear not to swat a fly.
"I didn't say you couldn't do your job. I just meant you don't need to be here."
"I know what you meant."
……………..
Derek made the coffee while Reid went and sat in the only chair in his small apartment.
"You need to talk about this Reid." He called through.
"What's to talk about?" His voice was low and quiet.
"What we saw today. We can start there. The bar."
"I don't want to talk about it."
Morgan came back into the lounge stuffed with bookshelves and placed the two mugs on the coasters on the small coffee table.
"I didn't freak you out even slightly?" Derek already knew the answer to that.
Reid picked up his mug and sipped at the sweet drink. "Yes it freaked me out. I still don't want to talk about it."
They sat in silence for a short while. Just relaxing after the day. They both jumped slightly when Reid's cell bleeped. He pulled it slowly out of his pocket and looked at the caller display. Morgan watch as a smile almost reached Spencer's mouth. A small twitch.
"Hey." He said into the phone. "Not really – I had a bad day – no – Yes! No I didn't mean it to sound like that." A long pause as he listened. "Ah no – tonight isn't a good idea." Pause again. "Yes you too." And he flipped it closed again. He looked at Morgan sitting on the floor. "You don't have to stay you know. I don't have a couch or spare bed or anything. You are welcome to the chair though, and I have throws and pillows."
"Was that your date?"
Reid blinked and stood up. "No – if it was a date I would be going out. I am getting you something to keep you warm and then going to bed. That's not a date."
"Why are you being so secretive? Tell me all about her." Reid spun back and looked at Morgan.
"There is nothing to tell. There is no date. I am stuck in here with you because some mad man has killed lots of guys with the same colour hair as me. That's it. Nothing else to say on the subject so please leave it."
Morgan watched the blankets and pillows get hurled through Reid's bedroom door and then the door was slammed. Morgan raised an eyebrow and went to pick the things up. He dragged them back to the big chair and sat thinking.
……………
Reid shrugged off his clothes and slipped under the sheets. He stayed awake for most of the night afraid to sleep. Knowing if he did he would have nightmares and Morgan will discover the extent of them. He didn't want to appear to be the weak link in the BAU. He had struggled for too long to not be the freaky kid. He couldn't have that ruined by some psychopath with an odd obsession. But eventually he did sleep, and the predicted nightmare arrived with full vengeance. Only it wasn't about Hankel this time. This was something different. Something which felt in his sleep to be demonic an evil. Something otherworldly.
Morgan heard a crash and a yelp and went running. His gun was out as he pushed open Reid's door just as the screaming started.
Reid was on the floor in the corner his hands over his head and his legs drawn up close. Morgan watched for a second before putting his gun away and running to his partner.
"Reid wake up. It's a nightmare. It's ok." He put a careful hand out so as not to alarm the still sleeping dreaming Reid and placed it gently on the top of his head. "Wake up man."
And the hammering started at the door.
And the windows shook.
And the hammering got louder as Reid's arms went out and pulled Derek to him "Make it stop. Make it go away." He hissed at Morgan.
And the windows flew open and the rain poured in as something outside howled. "What the hell?"
"Just make it stop!" Morgan could feel Reid shaking in his arms and wet tears on his shoulder and suddenly Reid went limp and the noises stopped and the windows slammed shut.
"Reid?" But his breathing was slow and deep and the natural sleep had returned. Morgan carefully lifted Spencer off the floor and lay him on the bed. He rolled over onto his stomach. One arm flopping over the side of the bed. The other bent and above his head, and Derek saw in his mind the image of Trent Fipps superimposed over the top, and his stomach knotted. "What in hells name is going on?"
!!I support the 2007 WGA STRIKE!!
