Chapter Six
It was the soft scratching sound that woke Reid. At first, he wasn't entirely sure he'd heard anything at all. But when the scratching started up again, he sat up.
"Who's there?" He called. There was no reply. "Hello?" Maybe he hadn't heard anything at all? Reid fumbled around in the dark for a moment or two before managing to turn the lamp on. The young profiler waited a moment or two, listening hard for the scratching. He waited for about a minute before sighing heavily, turning the lamp off, and lying back down.
Reid had just fallen asleep when the scratching came back. It was louder this time. He grabbed his gun off the nightstand before going to investigate.
"Oh, alright!" He called as he reached the door. The scratching suddenly stopped and he swore he heard footsteps hurrying away. Frowning, Reid opened the door.
No one was there. Reid stepped into the hallway and looked around. The hall was empty. Perhaps he'd simply been hearing things. Reid looked to the right again, whipping around when he felt a light draft brush up against his left arm. He grimaced when he smacked his hand on the doorframe. The young agent looked around one last time before stepping back inside the room and closing the door behind him. Now fully convinced he was simply imagining things, Reid went back to bed.
He never anticipated the blow to the back of his skull.
X-0-X-0
Hotch looked up when Emily entered the room.
"Have you seen Reid?" He asked. Emily frowned.
"He isn't here?" She said. "I would have thought he'd be here before Abby so he could get that handwriting sample the second she got here."
"Abby isn't here, either." Rossi told her.
"Agent Reid still isn't here?" Lilly inquired as she entered the room.
"I called him five times." Morgan sighed. "He's not answering his phone."
"He's probably sleeping in." JJ responded. "Don't worry. He'll be here."
The young woman had no way of knowing just how wrong she really was.
X-0-X-0
Reid groaned as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as the room slowly began to swim back into focus. Reid sat up and put a hand to his throbbing head. What happened?
"You're awake." Reid looked over his shoulder in alarm. A man in his early thirties was sitting against the wall behind him. His blonde hair was dirty and unkempt. Livid bruises marred his visible, pale skin and his clothing was in desperate need of a wash. There was also the faintest hint of a beard growing in.
"Who are you?" Reid asked. The man laughed hoarsely.
"I guess I really do look eighteen years older. You look like you've aged, oh, let's say ten years. You're easily recognizable, Spence." He replied in a cracked voice. Reid's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.
"David?" He breathed. David smiled. The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Welcome to hell." The older said. Reid stood, almost not willing to believe it. He took a few steps forward and knelt in front of David.
"Really? It's really you?" He whispered. David raised an eyebrow.
"I can hardly be Darth Vader, now, can I?" He replied dryly. Reid grinned and threw his arms around David. The two friends hugged each other tightly and Reid began to sob.
"No, Spence. You know I'm-" David began in an uncomfortable tone.
"Shut up, clod head." Reid muttered. David would have burst out laughing at the lame attempt at an insult, but Reid was crushing his recently healed ribs. As soon as Reid had calmed down a bit, they broke apart.
"You got yourself caught, didn't you?" David sighed. Reid frowned.
"Not on purpose." He replied defensively.
"Abby didn't have her father bring you here just because she felt like it, Spence." Reid's eyes widened in alarm. He had been right. "Did she find out about the... you know what? Are you close to solving this thing?"
"Close enough that she felt like having me brought here, I guess." Reid told his friend. "I asked for a sample of her father's handwriting-"
"You solved it." David interrupted. "Spencer you figured it out. Once your team realizes what you figured out, they'll be here in no time." Reid was shaking his head.
"No, they think I'm jumping to conclusions." He sighed. "But we found a lot of stuff on Abby, not to mention the letter that your kidnapper gave you back in '84."
"I forgot about that letter." David commented. "Must have read it a thousand times."
"That's why I need that sample, to prove that her father wrote that letter." Reid replied.
"No, we just have to break out of here, then you won't have to prove anything." David sighed. Reid gave David "the look." "Okay, fine. Yes my last escape attempt failed, but you probably already had that figured out. She had me locked back up in this hell by the time the cops came, but I'm sure you read the report on all that drama."
"David, can I ask you something?" Reid whispered. David nodded. "Where'd you get all those bruises?" David's gaze hardened.
"Mr. Andrews." He replied. He cast a look at the door before continuing. "He's an abusive, drunk son of a bitch. I'm just glad he hasn't touched the kids."
"Stella and her brother." Reid stated. David smiled.
"So you got that one figured out, too." He commented happily.
"Are they yours?" Reid asked. David nodded.
"Erick and Stella, seven and five." He replied. "Best kids ever, really. I'm lucky to have them. Do you have any kids?" Reid snorted.
"You're kidding, right." He said.
"Well, why not?" David asked, confusion evident in his tone. "I know about Lila. Did anything come out of that?"
"What don't you know about me?" Reid said dryly. "And no, I haven't seen her in a month or two. It's just friendship, that's all. No kids. I don't think kids would be a good idea, though, with the 'Reid Effect' and all." David frowned.
"What's the 'Reid Effect', and who made it up?" He inquired. Reid was surprised when David's trademark 'don't mess with Spencer Reid' tone didn't make its way into the older boy's voice.
"My friend made it up. Basically dogs and small children don't really... like me." Reid replied. David raised an eyebrow before looking over at the door.
"Stella, is that you out there?" He called. "One of you is eavesdropping." The lock clicked and the door opened to reveal a little girl in a worn out nightgown. She bit her lip.
"Hi, daddy." She whispered.
"Are you eavesdropping?" David asked her. Stella twirled a long lock of honey blond hair around her finger.
"David, she's five years old. I doubt she knows what eavesdropping is." Reid said softly.
"As far as you know." David replied softly.
"Well, um... did you know that people smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do?" Stella asked her father. David smiled and Reid blinked in shock.
"Very interesting." David replied genuinely. "Now come here." Stella bolted over to her father and wrapped her arms around him.
"Grandpa passed out again, but momma's home." She said. Her voice was muffled due to the fact that her face was buried in David's shoulder. Reid ran a hand through his hair.
"Great." He sighed. "Think the team will put two and two together?" David pursed his lips as he thought about Reid's question. Someone would definitely go looking for Reid if he wasn't answering his phone. And when they saw that he wasn't at the hotel, they would know that something was off. That is, if not answering the phone didn't tip them off first.
"They'll certainly notice that something isn't right." The older whispered.
X-0-X-0
Morgan shook his head after leaving a tenth message on Reid's voicemail.
"He's still not answering." He sighed. Hotch frowned.
"It's twelve o' clock. I would have thought he'd be in by now." JJ commented.
"I'll go to the hotel and see if he's still there." Rossi said as he grabbed his jacket of the back of the chair. "I'll call you if I find him."
"Or something other than Reid." Emily piped up. Rossi nodded in agreement.
"That too." He replied.
