Balloons

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Spencer was sick under a tree in the park and seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. They sat on a bench while Spencer pulled his mind back so they would be able to go back to the hotel. It was a short walk but the tight knot which had formed in Spencer's stomach was not going to let him stand for too long without being sick again.

This wasn't normal. Yes Reid was often sick after something like this but not to the point that he couldn't walk. He sat on the bench leaning forwards rocking. Gideon was worried. This was more than just a seizure. Something had happened.

"Spencer, what happened?" He asked gently. He just got a whimper back. They sat for an hour before Spencer could stand and start the slow process of walking back to the hotel. He was limping badly. Jason hadn't seen him walking this badly in months.

They made it to their separate rooms. "Just let me sleep Jason." A whisper of a voice. "Leave the adjoining door open please."

Something had scared him, he was sure of it. He had seen Reid's brain lock up like that before just out of pure terror, but he hadn't seen anything in the park which would have caused this. Maybe it was just the pain in his foot? He left the door open but went to have a shower for before dinner. It didn't look like Reid would be going down for food so he would order something to eat in, and listen to music and read.

Gideon picked up the phone and made an order and asked if there was a chess board he could use. There would be time for him to shower and get changed before the food arrived. A quick check on Reid who was laying on his side sleeping already. He noticed that his hands were twitching at his sides. Hopefully this was all just his brain adjusting to the different time zones. Jason would have to watch when he gave Spencer his medications, and actually realised that he may have missed a dose. It was hard to tell with the time difference and the fact Reid should take it at night time. They seemed to stop the nightmares.

Jason enjoyed his shower. He always liked to sing in the shower – the acoustics were marvellous. He got out after about twenty minutes still singing and turned off the power shower, dried himself down and started to dress. The he heard it. A scream. He knew that scream anywhere. As he ran to the adjoining door he began to hear smashing of things being thrown. The door was shut. Who shut the door? More to the point who locked it?

"Reid open the door!" he shouted through the wood, but all he could hear now was strange whimpering sounds. He shouldered the door a few times before it finally opened. The room was in darkness. "Reid what the hell happened?" All he got back was a choking sound of someone gasping for air.

Gideon ran for a light switch, but the lights seemed not to be working. He couldn't work out where Reid was and ran around the bed to see him laying on his back on the floor with a look of terrified panic on his face. His hands clawing at something at his throat. He knelt down next to Spencer – there was a plastic tie wound tightly around his neck so tight it was cutting into his skin.

"Stay calm Spencer. I need to cut it off." He looked into the wild eyes of Spencer then got up and ran back to his room for his pocket knife in his jacket pocket. When he got back Reid's eyes were rolling back into his head and his hands had stopped trying to remove it. He carefully and quickly slid the knife under the plastic tie. It popped off and Spencer took a huge gulping breath. Followed by a scream. Gideon sat with Spencer trying to calm him down. What the hell had happened here? He reached over and picked up the hotel phone

"Security please." He gave a room number. He helped Reid off the floor and onto the bed. "What happened? Who did this to you? Did you see who it was?"

Security opened the door and flicked the switch, when no lights came on they shone flashlights into the dark room. Reid threw his arm over his face as the light revealed what was in the room. The ceiling was covered in balloons of all different colours. The walls were covered in what looked to be blood in patterns and swirls. How the hell had all this been done in twenty minutes?

Gideon looked down at Reid. What the hell had happened? Something from the park. He thought back and visualised the scene and saw the balloons in the sky as Reid seized. Something to do with the balloons in the park. It made no sense.

……………

Down a deep dark tunnel.

Down a hole in the ground.

Down where the rats won't go.

Sitting in the dirt.

Mixing potions.

Grinding powders.

Calling his boys to him.

He had a headache. He sat and looked at his pretty boys and wiped the blood from his nose and put his hand out for the money.

"We are going to be having a guest soon. Get the room ready."

"Who's it gonna be?"

"Did I tell you to open your filthy mouth?"

A shake of the head.

"Then just do as you are told, and be grateful I didn't just stomp your face in."

………………….

The police came to talk to Reid. They sat in Gideon's room. Paramedics had put a dressing on Reid's neck where the plastic garrotte had cut into him, and something to take the swelling down. They told Reid that the door was unlocked. Had he let anyone in the room? Why was the adjoining room door locked when his friend had left it open? Did he see who did this to him? Do the balloons mean anything to him?

Reid spent the time just staring into space nodding occasionally and shrugging.

It was suggested that Reid stay the night with Jason while they sorted out things next door and was he alright, he doesn't seem quite right.

Gideon was aware that he didn't seem quite right and he still didn't know what had happened. Reid didn't seem able to tell them anything. Jason gave him his night time meds and settled him on the bed.

Jason stayed awake. He spent the night talking to the police and watching his boy sleeping. The marks on his neck were coming up in big bruises. They were meant to be going to see the collector tomorrow, now Jason very much doubted that would happen. Not if something was going on. He just didn't know what it was, and until Spencer could explain then they would take things very slowly and not leave each others sides.

……………….

"JASON!" Reid sat up in bed his hands at his throat.

Gideon was there at his side an arm around his shoulders. "Its ok, Spencer."

"What's going on?" Spencer looked really confused.

"I need you to tell me that. Can you remember what happened?"

"What happened? When?" His hands were twisting in his lap.

"Last night, who attacked you? The balloons?"

Reid stood up and limped – even worse than the day before to a mirror and stared at the cuts and bruises on his neck. "I thought it was a dream." His voice was almost a whisper.

Gideon joined Reid at the mirror. "Do you remember who did this?"

"There were too many of them. I couldn't fight them off. They were waiting for me." He was shaking.

"What did they look like? How many of them?"

Spencer shook his head. "Shadows – they looked like shadows, and the balloons. Everywhere balloons. Then someone put something around my neck and I couldn't breath."

"Anything else? A smell? Something someone said?"

"Smells of dirt, but no sounds, it was silent. Jason I thought it was a dream."

…………………

He crawled up the stairs from his dark hole with his boys and walked with the shadows down a tunnel. A small gesture and they disappeared into the darkness like rats. He handed out small bags to each of his boys.

"Count the money and don't stick my powders up your own noses because I will know if you have." He stood back and watched as his boys walked down the tunnel towards some light at the end.

The man with the hair checked out the things in his pockets.

"I'm coming to get you."

And he walked down the tunnel away from the light with a cheroot in his mouth and smile on his face.

………………………