Hey everyone, here is the next chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you again for the great response you have given this fanfic. I have this other one planned in my head but it would involve a character death, well kinda. It would involve the supernatural. I'm still considering if I should write it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

DjinnAtwood - You can't burn the whump queen, my evil, rather large, ass is fireproof!

Not knowing is everything - Thank you for your reviews. I forgot to ask in my last chapter. What was with the shiitake mushroom saying in one of your reviews?

Thank you for the reviews, you are wonderful and I smile every time I see a new review. Thank you!

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All mistakes are my own

Reid began tugging at his restraints as best he could. He felt weak from the blood loss and torture he had endured. He didn't want to die this way. He let out a small cry of frustration as the rope didn't budge. He froze as he heard the sound of a lighter clicking. He looked to the blurry figures slightly below him and watched them light a small stick. He couldn't stay calm as they neared the pyre with it.

"You can't hurt the world anymore," Joseph smiled. "With this fire, you'll be cleansed and all those under your control will regain the free will they lost under your reign."

He stepped closer to the pyre with the burning stick.

"NO! PLEASE!" Reid screamed at them. "I'M NOT A DEVIL! I'm a normal human person. Please, I have a mother and she needs me to take care of her. Don't do this."

"You are not human, therefore, you have no mother," David yelled at him. Joseph stepped forward and threw the burning stick into the pyre. Reid panicked as he watched the flames begin to spread quickly around the pyre. He lost any control that he had.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"


Hotch, Rossi and the other two officers were almost to the largest place when Hotch stopped dead in his tracks. He smelled smoke. His fear exploded as he heard Reid screaming.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Hotch and Rossi ran forward to the edge of the trees and came to a small clearing, the saw Reid tied to a pyre, bloody and crying. Flames surrounded him. They ran forward with their guns drawn. "FBI!"

Rossi pulled up his gun as he watched David Tate pulled a gun, he pulled the trigger and watched David fall to the ground. Hotch pulled the trigger on his gun and nailed Joseph in the shoulder. Hotch watched as the flames travelled up Reid's trousers leg.

"HOTCH! HELP! AHHH!" Reid screamed.

Hotch ran forward, knowing he couldn't watch the youngest member of his team burn to death. He holstered his gun and went for the pyre. Rossi realised what he was about to do. "HOTCH!"

Hotch jumped into the pyre and tackled Reid's body. The cross that Reid was bound to, gave way under the pressure of two people and fell backwards. They both landed on the grass behind. Rossi rushed to them and quickly put out the flames on Reid's legs. Reid and Hotch were both coughing from the smoke. Hotch ignored the coughing coming from his own chest and helped Rossi pull the cross away from the fire. Once at a safe distance, they knelt next to Reid and saw that he was having a panic attack. Hotch grabbed Reid's bloody and bruised face into his hands.

"REID! It's Hotch. You are safe. You're not on the fire anymore. I need you to breathe."

Reid's frightened and widened eyes focused on Hotch.

"Hotch," he gasped. His breathing leveled out but was still quicker than Hotch would have liked. He felt anger at the Tate brothers. He took in Reid's face. The split and swollen lip. The bruises across his cheeks, jaw and around his red eyes. He helped Rossi finish untying Reid's arms from the cross. The young genius whimpered in pain as his arms got brought to his sides.

"Reid, I'm going to check your chest. There is a lot of blood on your shirt."

The moment Hotch went to move the shirt apart. Reid panicked. "NO! Please don't."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Reid. You are hurt and we need to get your injuries taken care of."

"Hotch," Rossi said. Hotch looked up to see Rossi using his pen knife to cut Reid's trouser leg. Reid let out a loud yelp and Rossi's face went pale. Moving down, Hotch closed his eyes for a moment. Material from the trousers had stuck to Reid's burnt and blistering skin.

"Don't," Reid whimpered.

"Don't touch it," Hotch said. "Call a medic team down here. He needs to get to the hospital. I'll see what other injuries he has."

Rossi nodded. "I'll get the medical kit we have and some water for him.

Hotch leaned over Reid. "Where does it hurt?"

"E-Everywhere," Reid said as tears leaked down his eyes. "They sh-shot m-me."

"What?!" Hotch panicked. "Where?"

"R-Rock salt," Reid whimpered. "T-They shot m-me with rock salt. I got away b-but they shot me and dragged me b-back in. They cut me, branded me. T-They never stopped. I'm not evil. I'm not."

"No, you're not. You're a good person. You're in shock and you are hurt. We are going to get you to a hospital."

"Where's Morgan? Is he okay?"

"He got a little banged up in the accident but he's resting in hospital."

Hotch watched as Reid's eyes fluttered close. "Reid! Reid! Dammit."


Morgan moaned as he woke up. He looked around the room and realised he was in the hospital. He felt a small button in his hand. He pressed the button for the nurse and waited for someone to come in. A young female nurse walked in and smiled at him. "It's nice to see you awake, Mr Morgan."

"What happened?"

"You got brought in here early this morning after a car accident. You've gone through surgery after you obtained some internal injuries. How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts but I don't feel much pain. Are you giving me something?"

"You are on pain medication."

"Wait! Where is my team? My friend was in the back of the car. I think someone took him. I need to talk to my team."

"Is your friend Dr Spencer Reid?" she asked.

"Yes, he is."

"We got a call from a paramedic crew. Your team found him and the paramedics are bringing him in as soon as they can get him out of the forest."

"Forest? How bad is he hurt?"

"I don't know anything else except we are getting ready to treat him. I'm sorry."

"Can you get me a phone?" Morgan asked.


Hotch helped the medic crew carry Reid on the carrier they had brought. They had strapped him down on his side to prevent him injuring his back or front further. Reid was still unconscious but his injuries had been temporarily treated. They still couldn't get an air unit into the forest so carrying him out was the only option. David Tate was dead, the bullet had hit him directly in his heart. Joseph was under police custody but would have to go to hospital with a separate medical crew. Hotch came away from his thoughts as he heard a phone ringing. Rossi pulled out his phone.

"Hello," Rossi said as he answered the call. He held the phone out to Hotch. "It's Morgan, he's awake."

Hotch took the phone with his free hand. "Morgan, how are you feeling?"

"Don't worry about me," Morgan's voice said down the phone. "Is he okay?"

"He's hurt. His leg has some serious burns on, they cut a cross into his chest, the cuts are pretty deep. He also has wounds to his stomach. His back has injuries. He told me they shot him with rock salt after he tried to escape and we also found a brand at the top of it. He's been beaten too."

"Oh, god. This is my fault," Morgan said. Hotch closed his eyes and shook his head.

"It isn't your fault. They planned the attack on the car. There is no way any of us could have predicted that. The important thing is that Reid is alive and so are you."

"What about the bastards who did this?"

"One dead, one wounded."

"Shame that it isn't two dead," Morgan said. Hotch heard a yawn come from the phone.

"Morgan, get some rest."

"No, I want to be kept up to date. How did his leg get burned up? What did they do to him?"

Hotch stayed silent for a few moments. "We barely got to him in time. They had tied him to a cross on a pyre and it was on fire by the time we got there. Reid's leg caught fire. I got him off of it but he still got burned. They were going to burn him alive."

"Hotch, I swear if I ever get hold of the one that is still alive, I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"I'd probably let you," Hotch said, feeling the same anger that Morgan was feeling.

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