An Impressive Rescue
Summary: One agent bound and locked in a room, another at an UNSUB's mercy...who'll save whom?
Warning: Some mild violence
Quote: "Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I amaze even myself." - "That doesn't sound too hard." ~ Star Wars
Blood dripped from his nose and lip, onto the leg of his pants, but he remained calm. It was important he stay calm above all things. This man, these types of men, fed off fear like a leech did blood and to give a reaction was to fuel their sadism. Hotch had a full and accurate profile of the man, he knew everything about him…including the fact that this UNSUB would not allow him to leave this room alive. Which brought him to his newest tactic….
"Whatcha doin'? Huh?" The gruff voice of his captor called out suddenly, "Ya think ya can fool me into thinkin' your dead, agent? That it?!" The man's boots thudded as he took wide steps towards Hotch before grabbing the agent hard by the hair, forcing his head back so their eyes met, and then smirking, "You can't fool me, agent, I've been at this too long." The man laughed some as he moved around to face Hotch then bent down to eye his prey carefully, tapping a knife against his outer thigh menacingly.
--
Reid shifted and squirmed against his bindings. He could hear Lawrence in the next room but didn't hear Hotch, which caused his stress levels to rise significantly. The genius agent began to silently pray his boss was still alive, that it wasn't too late to rescue them both, as he twisted a hand free. "Finally," he muttered before using his newly freed hand to begin to tug and claw at the ropes still holding his other wrist to the chair.
There was always an advantage to be found in being seen as the unassuming nerdy type…No one expected much from him. This was especially the case with UNSUBs like Lawrence who considered men like Hotch the only worthy adversaries for them. So while they focused all their efforts and attention on the more obviously strong individuals Reid was left to his own devices.
--
Hotch sucked in his breath sharply as the blade slid into his leg, just under the first few layers of skin. Deep enough to cause extreme pain but not so deep it would be life threatening. He let the air out of lungs first in a bloody cough, then more slowly as his leg began to twitch in pain, the blade still inside of it.
"You know, I think I'm really gonna enjoy this. Haven't had someone give me a real good fight in years. 'Cause, ya know, it's not just the pain, the blood, the screaming, and the pleas for mercy I like, agent…" Lawrence's lips twisted into a cruel smile, "it's the challenge in getting a person to break."
--
Reid freed his other hand then worked swiftly to undo the rope restraints on his legs and, soon, was freed and able to walk around the room. The room was bare though, the window nailed shut and door locked from the outside. The option of breaking the glass of the window occurred to him but it was too risky…it would notify Lawrence that he was freed and likely drive the man to kill them both. He needed to stay quiet and work fast.
He removed his shoes to keep the noise level down then began to examine the floor for loose nails in the wall boards or even walls…anything he could use to pick the lock.
--
Suddenly there was mind-numbing pain as their captor turned the knife, parting more of Hotch's skin from his muscle, and then yanked the knife out brutally. "And your little buddy in the other room ain't gonna help ya," Lawrence commented with a laugh as he wandered over to a nearby table strewn with more knives and other implements of torture, "I mean that kid couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag!"
--
Reid found a nail in the corner of the room and actually managed to pull another out of the windowsill. He began to pick the lock with them and soon heard the familiar click of a bolt sliding back into its original place. The problem now arose of what to do next. He peaked out to see Hotch tied to the chair, his back to him, and Lawrence's shadow just meeting with a pool of Hotch's blood on the floor.
He knew it was the only chance he'd have so quickly moved into the room across the hall and began to search for a viable weapon. He found one under Lawrence's mattress, a pre-loaded handgun…Hardly a surprise considering Lawrence tended towards paranoia. Reid then headed towards the door a little more sure of things now that he had a weapon.
--
Lawrence turned back to Hotch after a few moments with a pair of pliers when a gun was fired. Once. Twice. And Lawrence went down with a thud just a few feet from a rather stunned Hotch. The senior agent made the somewhat pained effort to turn his head, "Reid?" He called out a little dazed and clearly in pain.
"Yeah," Reid rushed to Hotch and began to undo the bonds, keeping the gun close by him. "Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh? You know, sometimes I amaze even myself," Reid joked a little, not sure what else to say as his nerves finally started to get to him.
"That doesn't sound too hard," Lawrence muttered angrily as he pulled himself up with the help of the table, bleeding in a steady rhythm from his chest, only to fall back down after a few steps when Reid fired again, this time striking Lawrence in the head and killing him.