Bang
If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time – Chinese proverb.
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.
Then the banging started. Something banging against the doors from the outside. He could hear someone scream and the banging continued. Reid stood up in the corner of the square car and put his hands on the small ledge that ran all along the three walls at hand height. He swallowed and tried to say something to the other person in here but although he knew there was someone here, he couldn't hear of see him.
Bang.
"Flanders."
"Call me Floyd."
Bang
"Floyd?"
"Yes Spence?
Bang
"What's that noise?"
Bang
"Sounds somewhat like a bang to me."
Bang
And now more screaming and some gun fire and the elevator car started to rattle and vibrate.
"F f floyd?"
No answer.
And then something dripped on Reid's head from above. He put his hand on his head and felt something warm and sticky and around his fingers gripping hold of the side of the car he could feel something pooling. He quickly turned around and put his finger tips on the wall of the elevator. Something was dripping down the walls. He couldn't see what it was – but he could smell the coppery tinge and he could taste it in the back of his swollen throat.
He took deep breaths.
Bang drip.
And made his way to the door and started to hammer on them.
Bang drip.
"Let me out." His voice barely above a horse whisper.
Bang drip.
Bang drip.
His fists pounding the door and still no more reaction from this Floyd person who was there somewhere waiting – but waiting for what?
The vibrations in the car stopped suddenly but the continuous bang and the dripping of something from above continued. He tried to wrench his fingers in the gap between the doors, but he was not strong enough to do anything so he slid down to his knees and carried on in vain hammering back on the doors and muttering. "Please let me out."
Bang drip.
And now there was no screaming. No gun fire. No noise except for the banging over and over on and on, hammering through his head in this tight hot space. He was sweating again. His eyes were sore, his head was pounding in pain, he had pains in his side, and he needed water. He sat on the floor again with his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth in time to the banging on the doors of the car thinking of the fountain just outside and all the water going to waste.
Spencer could feel a hand on his shoulder. He was laying on his side in the dark with the coppery smell around him still, but finally the banging had stopped. He had no idea how long he had been here for. He had no idea how long ago he got trapped in the mall. He just knew that it felt like a lifetime.
"Spence wake up."
He tried to answer but when he moved his mouth he felt the skin on his lips crack and start to bleed so he just made a low moan.
"They will be coming back soon. You need to be awake."
Another moan and he tried to move to get up off the floor.
"Let me help you." And he walked around so he was behind Spencer and hauled him to his feet. "I am sorry. I am not permitted to give you water or I would let you have some of mine."
Reid heard the sound of a water bottle. The sploshing wet sound of water. He was too hot, much too hot, and he needed that water. He could hear the sound of Floyd drinking. He could imagine the feel of the water dripping down the back of his swollen throat. Why wouldn't they just give him water? Why were they keeping him locked in the dark with this strange man watching him? He wanted to lay down again. The muscles in his legs hurt, but Floyd just pulled him tighter to him.
"It's ok Spence, I am here to look after you." And the doors in front of them slid open and Reid felt the arms around him suddenly go, and he stood swaying looking out to the comfort of the red light outside. He slowly started to walk forwards. Raithe took his arm and pulled him away from Floyd. He looked at Reid carefully. He looked into his eyes and walked around him in a tight circle.
"Flanders you are a constant disappointment to me. Why can you not follow simple orders? I thought you were the clever one out of this bunch."
"Sir," and Floyd was stepping forwards. "We need him fit enough for the test to work properly. I don't want to risk the condition getting any worse. He needs fluids. He has lost blood and had no water since this started."
"And your point?" Raithe pushed Reid towards two of the terrorists.
"My point sir is that if we kill him now we will have to re-shoot all the footage with someone else, and I was of the understanding that we chose this subject for a reason."
"I don't much like your smart mouth Flanders." He looked over at the men supporting Reid. "Take him and get him water. No – leave him; you go get him one of those fitness drinks." He turned his back on Floyd. "Let's go and get him ready for the next session."
"Sir, I don't think he is fit enough for the next session. He needs to drink first. Let him recover slightly or it will kill him – well obviously it will kill him, I mean it will kill him too quickly. I thought we were going to do this slowly."
Reid watched Raithe walk over to Flanders and upper cut him under his chin. He noticed that Floyd didn't even attempt to defend himself and now watched him fly backwards cracking his head on the wall and slide down to the floor silently. "Never argue with me Flanders. Never tell me what to do."
Reid was grabbed by the arms and half dragged down towards to fountain. He could hear the water and the cramps in this stomach just seemed to emphasise the terrible thirst he was feeling.
He was taken to the front of a shop with the grill pulled down and pushed to stand with his back to it. Both hands were cuffed above his head. He stood and looked at the fountain and the water and his body screamed.
"Drink." A voice from next to him. A straw was put between his dry cracked lips and he started to suck slowly on the sweet liquid. 'Take it slowly or you will be sick.' He could feel his stomach going into cramps as the liquid hit it. He knew he needed to stop drinking, but it just felt so good against his throat and tongue. He was able to wet his dry chapped lips.
Spencer needed to curl up on the floor and nurse his pains. He wanted to sleep in the light. He wanted to know what they were going to do to him. They seemed to be going to a lot of effort to keep him away from the others and to keep him disorientated. Reid now looked as the other hostages were brought forwards. There were six of them now. Three men and three women. He tried to work out who was missing but he couldn't think straight. They were lined up about fifty feet away from where he was and told to kneel.
He watched them carefully as they looked up at him. Scared bruised faces. Had they all had this done to them too? He had no idea. Spencer figured that if he just did as he was told they would get through this.
Flanders walked up to Raithe. He had another bruise coming up on his face. He glanced over at Reid and then to Raithe. "This isn't going to work."
Raithe spun on him. "Why not? This was the plan, why are you telling me now it won't work?"
"He's not fit enough to undergo a proper trial now. It won't be a fair result. He needs to be fully re-hydrated first."
"Get out of my face Flanders. You bug me." Then he turned to the team. "Suit up, and get masks for that lot." He turned to look at Reid in the eyes. "Time to start. As you predicted, they are refusing to listen to us."
"Start what?" Though deep down he had a nasty feeling he knew what. The question was ignored as Raithe turned his back on Reid to look at the progress being made with the other hostages and then he walked off the get a hazmat suit on with mask.
A semi circle of men in white suits and masks formed around Reid. One of them stepped forwards. He could see through the face mask the dark eyes of Flanders and then looked down at the auto injector in his hand.
"No – please – please don't." He tried to look Floyd in the eyes but he wasn't looking. Reid felt his head being pushed to one side exposing the left side of his neck and he panicked. He kicked and writhed and tried to keep Flanders away from him, but they just held him still and pulled his head into position to help Floyd. "Please don't do this."
"Camera is running. Ready to go Floyd."
And Reid felt the sting of the injector in the side of his neck.
…………………….