Mind Games
Chapter 3
Confusion

"Whoever stands by a just cause cannot possibly be called a terrorist" – Yasser Arafat

There was nothing to indicate that Hotch had left of his own accord other than Dave's gut. Hr knew that Aaron wouldn't run from responsibility. He called Haley's sister to ask if she had heard from him and she hadn't. There's no way that Aaron would have left without saying goodbye to Jack. He paced his office, troubled. He picked up his phone and called Reid up. Reid was there in seconds, only too glad to be able to say what he thought about Hotch's disappearance.

'He had his suit hanging on the bathroom door all ready. Why do that if he was leaving?'

'I know, Reid. You don't have to convince me. I can't get an investigation opened though. The kidnappers were very good at leaving false clues.' Dave said. 'If I didn't know Hotch better, I might believe them.' He paused, then, 'Did you have any luck with Mrs Hinchley?'

'No not really. Morgan is still with her, but apart from it being a white van, she really can't tell us much.'

'So it's down to us then.' he sighed. 'Call the others up, please, and let's see what we have got.'

-0-0-0-

Hotch examined the ring in the bathroom mirror. It just looked like a metal ring; smooth and without any obvious join. He pulled at to test its strength, all the time aware that it could be activated. His body ached and his skin hurt to touch where the nerve endings had been fired, but evidently he was allowed to do this, because there was no pain.

They were trying to brain wash him. This was new technology, at least to the FBI. They were usually up to date with anything that could be used as interrogation techniques, and he had not heard of this. He wondered whether this was a terrorist campaign, or his own side attacking him. He knew they tested new technology on inmates at Gitmo. They had said why they chose him as the test subject, but they didn't reckon on his tenacity. He would not be brain washed.

There didn't seem to be any way to remove the device. He risked an attack, and put his hands between the ring and his throat, and pulled as hard as he could. The ring seemed to give slightly, but showed no sign of loosening.

His arms dropped to his side. This was not the way to combat it. The ring would not come off without bolt cutters, so he was going to have to find some other way to beat it. As he wandered back to his bed, a voice filled the room.

'Now you know that you cannot remove the device', the voice said, 'we will get to work. What is your name?'

'You know my name.' Aaron replied.

The ring was instantly activated and Hotch fell to the floor, writhing in agony, he bit down on his tongue, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The pain stopped and he was left panting for breath on the floor. His eyes burned in defiance. Hurting him would not work.

'Let's try that again, shall we? Remember, obedience is rewarded. You must be feeling hungry by now. So what is your name?'

'Supervisory spec.......' was all he said before the thing around his neck sent daggers of pain to every part of his body. This time they let it run until he passed out.

-0-0-0-

'There had to be at least two men', Prentiss said, 'to overpower Hotch. He did not put up much of a fight.'

'Could be they drugged him.' Morgan said. 'The bed linen is in the lab being tested. I'll ask them to do a tox screen on anything they find.'

'They were highly organised.' Dave said. 'They cleared up the glass and took it with them to make out that the window had been broken before.'

'There were no fingerprints, also points to them being organised.' Reid said. 'And taking a suitcase too.'

'The only mistake seems to be them leaving the suit on the bathroom door and allowing Mrs Hinchley to see the van.' Dave sighed. 'So we have a group of probably at least three men, highly organised, would have been watching him for sometime – that alone shows skill, shadowing Hotch without him noticing would not be easy.'

'They are probably in their twenties, to overcome someone as powerful as Hotch.' said Prentiss.

'But why Hotch?' Dave said. 'There are much easier people to abduct. It has to be something to do with his position at the BAU. There has been no ransom demand, no one has tried to inject himself into the investigation, no contact with the media. They needed him for something. Something that no one else would do for.'

'Terrorism?' Reid said thoughtfully. 'Maybe they want FBI information.'

'If that is the case, we don't have much time.' Morgan said. 'If they are torturing him for information.'

'Because he won't give it.' Dave said. 'He would die first.'

-0-0-0-

Hotch woke up on the floor of his room where he had fallen. He tried to move, and cried out in pain as he attempted to move his limbs. He forced himself onto his front and crawled to the bed, but he didn't have the strength to climb up onto it. He rolled onto his back.

'I don't understand!' he cried out. 'What answer did you want?'

He tried to look defiant, but his eyes hurt in the glare of the bright light. He put an arm across his eyes to shield them, and to cover the tears that had gathered in their corners. The glare of the light was making his eyes water, and the memory of the pain. But it could be seen as a weakness. He was still for a few minutes to gather his strength, then tried again to climb onto the bed. This time he managed it, and it hurt less to lie there than on the floor. He sat up and shouted at the camera.

'What was the right answer?'

He started to massage his legs, to try to stop them being so sensitive, but he had to stop as the pain receptors were susceptible to the touch, and it hurt.

He turned onto his side facing away from the camera, and scrunched up the thin pillow in front of his face to try to block out the light. The repeated attacks had left him shattered and he needed to sleep, but he didn't think he would be allowed to.

And he was right. The questions started again.

'Who is Haley?' was the first thing they asked. Aaron thought for a moment.

'She was my wife.' He waited for the pain to start, but evidently it was the right answer.

'Who is Jack?'

'Don't you touch my son!' Hotch yelled, getting off the bed and facing the camera. Then the pain. It felt like a higher level this time. It threw him off his feet and onto his back. A scream was torn from his throat and his body was consumed by fire as his nerve endings sent pain signals to his brain. He fought to stay conscious, and as the pain subsided, he attempted to get to his feet. He had to stay strong. He had to defy these people.

'When are you going to show yourselves?' he said. His voice was shaky and guttural as he tried to speak. 'Show me your faces!'

'You do not need to see our faces.' the answer came back. 'Who are you?'

'I am Aaron hotchn.....'

Again the ring was activated. This time he tried to pull it from his neck, but his fingers formed fists and he couldn't grip the ring.

'Aaron Hotchner!' he screamed as the pain went on. 'My name is Aaron Hotchner!'

-0-0-0-

'We found traces of chloroform on the pillow.' the tech said. Morgan grimaced.

'No wonder they could take him so easily.' he said. 'They chloroformed him in his sleep. He probably didn't even see them.'

He told the others the latest.

'Primitive but it works. Even Aaron wouldn't be able to fight that.' Dave said. 'So what have we got?'

'Organised, possibly terrorist connections, at least two strong men, and a white van. That's about it' Reid said.

Dave looked worried. 'If this is terrorist connected, and they are trying to get secrets out of Hotch, we really need to alert the CTU.'

'But it's all speculative. We can't even get a crime scene set up. He's been put down as AWOL.'

Dave nodded. 'Yes I know. This is going to have to be up to us to unravel.'

'If they wanted to get into the Federal computers, they would have taken Garcia.' Reid said. 'She would be easier to break than Hotch.'

'See if you can figure out what unique information Hotch has.' Dave said. 'That might be a step to discovering who took him.'

Prentiss, Reid and Morgan nodded and left Dave's office.

Dave resumed pacing and thinking.

Why did they take you, Aaron? Why you?'

-0-0-0-

Hotch felt wetness on the right side of his neck. He touched it with the back of his hand, and it came away bloody. He had a weakness in his ear ever since the car bomb in New York. It was bleeding again. He curled up on the bed in the foetal position, his arms crossed across his chest and his legs drawn up. His body was trembling, and his breathing had become painful and difficult. His throat hurt with screaming, and he was exhausted. But they wouldn't let him sleep. He lay still, waiting for them to start asking him things again.

He needed a drink. He slid off the bed onto the cold floor and crawled to the bathroom. Pulling himself up to the basin, he turned on the tap.

There was no water. He turned to the camera.

'I need some water.' he said huskily.

'You have to earn your rewards.' the voice said. 'Let's give you a chance. What is your name?'

Oh god, please, not again.....

'Agent Aar............'

He fell back on the concrete floor as the pain kicked in again. His head cracked on the floor, but he hardly felt it. He badly needed a drink, and didn't know what answer was needed. The pain subsided again, and he felt the back of his head. Yes, the skin was broken, and already there was a pool of blood.

Without getting up, he turned to the camera.

'Please....' he gasped. 'I need a drink.'

'Who are you?'

'I don't know the answer!' he cried. 'I don't know what you want me to say!'

'I want to know your name.'

'You know my name!' Hotch said in desperation. 'I've told you my name.'

'Say your name.' the voice ordered.

'Agent Aar......... oh god no!'

And the ring was activated. It was on a low setting, but it stayed on until Aaron fainted. As he lay on the floor unmoving, the door into his room opened, and two men entered. Quickly and efficiently, they unbolted the bed from the floor and carried it out of the room, locking the door behind them. When Hotch woke up an unknown time later, shivering and stiff, the bed had gone. Hotch crawled to the corner of the room under the camera, hoping he would be out of their line of sight. He closed his eyes to try to sleep, but the voice started again.

'Now you see we have removed the bed from the room. This is punishment. Your behaviour cannot be rewarded, so you get no water. Disobedience will not be tolerated.'

'I don't know what you want!' Hotch shouted. 'What do you want?'

'We want your name.'

'I've told you my name, damn it! You know my name!'

'What is your name?'

'I don't know what you want! I am Aaron Hotchner, FB.........'

Hotch's body was once again racked with pain. He convulsed on the floor leaving smears of blood. He bit down hard on his tongue again and he shook and arched his back in agony until he passed out.