a/n: to all that have already read the first three chapters: I changed one detail, Andrew Lancaster, our 'rook', is not a vegetable but rather an amnesiac and is being sent up, in custody, from Cali. Sorry for the trouble and thank you those who have been following and those who have given reviews, I appreciate greatly!
A knock at the door woke both Spencer and Ana in the morning, in response to which Spencer got up and answered the door.
Morgan stood in the doorway, completely clothed and ready for action. "I hope you had fun last night, because Lancaster is here and we need to bring Ana down to talk to him. Hotch and JJ are already at the station."
Spencer nodded and told Ana. A strange awkwardness flowed between them for obvious reasons, however a strange sense of security and understanding accompanied it. He left and got dressed, as did Ana and, now that she could get to her clothes, Emily.
The five of them, Rossi, Emily, Ana, Morgan and Spencer all met in the lobby.
"Prentiss, Morgan, why don't you guys take Ana, me and Reid will be behind you." Rossi more ordered than suggested.
Prentiss and Morgan exchanged confused looks but agreed and showed Ana to one of the black Suburbans.
Rossi and Spencer got into the other one and after a few seconds of driving, Rossi asked, "why did you stay with her last night?"
"Huh?" Was Spencer's only response.
"Last night, when Ana had a bad dream you stayed with her, slept in her room with her. If you were any other guy I would rip your head off. But why would you offer in the first place?"
Spencer thought for a minute. "I guess I just get it, both the dreams and the being held against your will. I can't imagine what I would be like if Tobias got away and after eight years of being dormant he just showed up again, killing. Having to re-live it again just to catch him, I would have bad dreams too. I also get the nightmares and wanting to do anything possible to make them stop."
Rossi seemed to accept this with silence.
Then something occurred to Spencer. "Why do you care? What's up with you guys, anyway?"
"Her father was abusive and an alcoholic and her mother died when she was young. She abandoned all hope which is why she left. You know, even after her trauma she didn't want to see her family. I guess she blamed them in a way. If they hadn't been so horrid she wouldn't have left and been in the desert in the first place. But she needed someone to latch onto and I was there, I guess, because I was on the case."
Spencer nodded as they arrived at the station.
Inside, Hotch and JJ sat at a table with Ana.
"We're hoping your voice will bring back his memory of taking you, maybe tell us who else was there." JJ said gently. "Do you think you can just hold a conversation with him?"
Ana nodded and went in with Hotch.
"Hello Andrew." Hotch greeted through gritted teeth.
"What is going on, who are you people?" He asked angrily.
"Do you not remember being arrested?" Hotch seemed legitimately concerned as having to re-introduce himself every minute could prove hard for time-sake.
Andrew rolled his eyes. "No, I do, that's anterograde amnesia, I have retrograde. I mean why was I arrested, I haven't done anything wrong."
"Do you remember me?" Ana interjected.
Andrew paused only momentarily. "No, why should I?"
"You kidnapped me eight years ago." Ana stated calmly, almost coldly.
"What? I did not." Andrew seemed to become confused as well as angry.
"Yes, you did, I will remember your voice for all eternity." She countered.
He paused again, as if making a very conscious effort to remember.
"I can't remember anything after age ten."
"This would have happened when you were twenty three." Hotch offered.
Andrew shook his head. "Sorry, I can't help you with that. But I guarantee you, I would never do something so gross."
Ana stood up. "Hotch, can I talk to you outside?"
They left and outside exchanged words.
"I think he's telling the truth." Ana said.
"So what do you suggest we do?" Hotch asked.
"I want to try something. There was music playing a lot of the time they had me. Music is shown to have a link to memory and can evoke strong memories sometimes, even in amnesiacs. I have the song that was playing when they were about to kill me on my iPod, the one that would have been playing when King and Bishop beat him."
Hotch sighed. "I suppose it's worth a try."
Ana only nodded in response and walked back into the room. She placed her iPod in the middle of the table and pressed play. All the Small Things by Blink 182 began playing and a look o confusion crossed Andrew's face. Then anger.
"Stop, I hate this song!" He yelled and grabbed the iPod.
Hotch snatched it back and let it keep playing. "Why does it make you angry?"
"I-I don't know, it just does!" Andrew yelled.
The song ended without any other words. Hotch asked some more questions and when he got nowhere he and Ana left.
"He's definitely our guy, but he seems to sincere about not remembering anything." Emily said.
Hotch turned to Rossi and JJ. "So what now?"
"We could smoke him out." JJ answered. Confused looks from all present urged her to continue. "We say we have one in custody, Lancaster, and he has given us the identities of the other two."
"He could kill her though." Morgan countered.
"Unless we gave him a distraction. The King attacked Lancaster prior to going after Ana, his anger overcame his survival strategy. We could also mention the time when we will transfer Lancaster from police custody, put him in a vest." JJ offered.
Rossi sighed. "It might be the best shot we have."
"Alright, JJ, announce to the press everything you just said. Tell them we will be transporting Lancaster at four, we need to do it when there's still light." Hotch ordered. JJ nodded and left to make calls. "Morgan, call Garcia, get the pictures of the twenty hits we got yesterday, we'll show them to Lancaster, see if he recognizes any of them."
Morgan whipped out his phone and walked off.
"Emily, Rossi, take Ana and see if we can get Lancaster to remember something, anything." Hotch said.
Emily and Rossi nodded and rossi looked Ana in the eye.
"Are you ready to go back in there?"
"Yeah, if it can help that girl." She began to determinately walk to the interrogation room but Rossi grabbed her wrist. She whirled around with a look that told him not to get in her way.
"Ana, you know, it's perfectly normal to be angry with him, scared of him, upset at the memories, anything. Honestly, it's more disturbing that you're not reacting." Rossi insisted.
Ana paused. "Remember the one who has ridiculed you, who has grieved you, who has wronged you, who has done evil to you, as your physician, your healer. He has been sent to heal you; don't remember him with anger. Zossima."
Rossi seemed to accept this and let go of her wrist then followed her in.
"Andrew, we understand that you don't remember, but there is hard evidence that links you to this crime and you will be charged for it, however if you help us we can cut you a deal." Emily said gently.
"How can I help you if I don't remember?" He asked almost angrily.
"We want you to listen to Ana as she runs through the string of events, it might trigger something." Emily answered, remaining level-headed.
Andrew sighed. "Fine."
