Sorry for the wait, super busy with work and school, but another chapter is on the way soon. Thank you to those still reading, and as always, please review! All mistakes are my own.
Chapter 4
Before Prentiss left and before Morgan's cognitive interview, Hotch had Morgan sit down with an FBI sketch artist to give a description of the Unsub. With no actual picture of the man, Morgan's description was all they would have to work with.
He was tall, slightly taller than Reid, so 6'2'', maybe 6'3''. White. In his late 30's to early 40's. No distinguishable scars or birthmarks. The lighting was dim, so Morgan didn't get a good look at his eyes, and his hair looked dark brown, but it could have been black. After thirty minutes alone with the sketch artist, Morgan returned with the closest depiction of the man they were going to get. Hotch gave Prentiss a copy of the sketch, and she was on her way.
The team had decided not to release the sketch to the media. It was a hard decision, as Reid was their friend, and this case was personal to them, but they understood that releasing it would do more harm than good. This man was extremely generic, and releasing it could cause a flood of phone calls from worried citizens, certain that the man in the sketch is their neighbor, friend, relative, or co-worker. The team's best hopes were that Prentiss could get something out of the bar owner, or that Morgan could provide additional insight after his cognitive interview.
Not wasting any time, Hotch motioned for Morgan to follow him. The two agents walked into an interrogation room and shut the door. They sat down at opposite sides of a desk that sat in the center of the room. There was a one way mirror located on the wall to the left of the men, and Morgan was sure Rossi and Gideon were on the other side. Morgan had seen them return while he was with the sketch artist.
"Are you ready," Hotch asked, pulling his phone out to record the interview. Morgan nodded in response. "Let's begin then," he said pressing the record button. "I want you to close your eyes and go back to the bar, right before Reid showed up. What are you going?"
"I'm drinking at the bar alone, and a woman walks up to flirt with me."
"What do you do?"
"I brush her off and keep looking down at first, but she's persistent."
"Do you look up?" Hotch asks.
"Yes"
"What do you do next?"
"I want her to go away, so I profile her. I tell her to go home to her family." Hotch can't help but smirk when he hears this.
"Now, look around the room, what do you see?"
"The bar is pretty packed, it's couples night I think. Wait!"
"What is it? What do you see?"
"Over her shoulder, I think I see Reid, but he isn't alone." Morgan's breathing is increasing in speed
"Who is he with?" Hotch asks in a calm tone of voice, trying to relax Morgan.
"I'm not sure, but it's not the same man I met. Whoever it is, they're holding onto Reid's arm, leading him into the room."
"Is Reid fighting back?"
"No, he's following. He looks-" Morgan pauses.
"Looks what? What's wrong?"
"He looks detached. He's just kind of standing there. Wait, the person is putting something in his ear, like a listening device or something. I can't be sure, his hair is too long and it covers it."
"What happens next?"
"The man leaves, he's hiding his face, I can't see what he looks like."
"That's okay. What does Reid do does he leave?"
"No, he's still just….standing there. God Hotch!"
"What is it?"
"He looks drugged!" Hotch could hear Morgan start to panic.
"I need you to keep focusing, what's happening?"
"The woman, she's gone now. I insulted her, and she splashed her drink in my face. I'm about to turn around to call out to her"
"Okay, but before you do what about Reid? Can you still see him?"
"Yeah he looks the sam- Wait, something's changing. His eyes are wide, he looks panicked now. He's starting to run in my direction, but I've turned around now. I'm calling out to the woman."
"Does she turn around? What happens?"
"No, she doesn't. But someone bumps into me and keeps going. It's Reid. I call for him to stop, but he doesn't even flinch, so I chase after him and grab him. God, Hotch I scared him. He probably thought it was the other man."
"Don't worry about that now. What does Reid do?"
"He asks for help, but he turns to run again. That's when the other man shows up."
"Okay, so you've already told us about this interaction. What I need you to do now is focus on things you missed. What is Reid wearing?"
"He's wearing jeans, and a t-shirt. The shirt looks slightly big. Probably to conceal the bomb. There's something on Reid's hand….is that? God, it's a wedding band. He's really committed to this act."
"Is the other man wearing one?"
"No."
"Is Reid fidgeting with his?"
"No, he's not touching it at all, like he's used to it being there. It's dark so I can't be sure, but it looks old"
"Okay, back to the conversation."
"The man kisses him, and Reid looks scared but then- but then the man whispers something and he isn't scared anymore. It's a really sudden change, like before when the first man left him alone and he started to panic. OH MY GOD!" Morgan yelled, opening his eyes, unable to focus on the interview any longer. Hotch pieces it together at the same time, and he begins to feel his own heart race.
"Hotch, they…they-"
The two men hear the door open and look to see Gideon standing it the door frame, eyes wide. "They brainwashed him!"