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Chapter VI

The BAU room filled with tense air as the team members prepared themselves to hear whatever Garcia had for them. At this point, any information would be of great help and everybody knew that their technical analyst wouldn't disappoint them. They all prayed to receive the blessing of a lead that would take them closer to the end.

"I think I have a suspect" carefully stated Garcia, alternating her look between the computer in front of her and the rest of the team on the other side of the table.

"OK, baby girl, tell about this bastard" said Morgan.

"Jonathan Sturz, 35 years old. He's a freelance computer technician working for Upward Elevators since a year and a half ago. Before he worked for another elevator company in Florida" exposed the technical analyst reading the information gathered.

"Let me guess. It was the same company in charge of the repairs in the apartment building of the previous attack" offered Derek.

"You're right, my love. He was in the military, two years in Afghanistan" continued Penelope.

"Hence his knowledge about bombs" said Prentiss.

Garcia fell silent for a moment, looking horrified at something she was reading from the computer screen.

"What is it, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Three years ago, he took his four year-old son to the mall. While he was on the phone, he turned around and his son stepped into an elevator that free fell seven floors. The boy died immediately along with the other five people inside" explained Penelope, trying to ignore the sadness she felt after reading such a tragic story.

Hotch narrowed his eyes, knowing that if anything similar happened to Jack, he would be devastated, to the point of not having a purpose in life. He almost felt sorry for the UNSUB. But he knew that was the difference between them. This sadistic killer was unable to feel pity or remorse.

"That was the stressor. Is he married?" asked Rossi.

"His wife filed for the divorce after their son's death" answered Garcia.

Everything was getting clearer now.

"Garcia, do you have an address?" asked Emily.

"Who do you think you're talking to, my dove?" The technical analyst grinned handing her a paper with an address on it.

"Good, let's go to the bullpen to prepare everything with the SWAT team" ordered the unit chief before leaving the room followed by Rossi and Prentiss.

Morgan got close to Garcia and kissed her in the head. "You never fail to amaze me."

"I can amaze you in so many more ways, my chocolate muffin. But first, go get this SOB so we can have our boy back" said Penelope watching the image of her favorite genius.

"Don't worry, momma. I'll bring him back. I won't rest till I do it" answered Derek, with fear and determination bathing his voice. It didn't matter how many times he'd seen his baby brother in dangerous situations and getting out of them, he knew one day the kid would not be that lucky, but he didn't want that day to come on his watch. He'd do anything in his power to keep the boy alive.

With a kind squeeze to Garcia's shoulder and his look lost in the image portrayed on the screen, he sighed and left the room to get ready to go after the suspect.


"How's your wrist?" asked Reid.

SSA Dr. Spencer Reid had remained in silence since the last fall. Knowing that the UNSUB had the power to listen to them and make the elevator drop at his whim, he didn't want to talk too much in case something said in there could piss this man or woman off enough to make them fly down again or even decide that I was not worth it any more to keep them alive and just blow them off. He didn't want his mind to go there, but he couldn't help thinking about his mother. What would she do without him? He thought about the letter he had written to her that morning. "I should have sent it before coming here." But he had left it in his car. As always his bad luck had caught up with him, forcing him to change his plans.

Linda looked at the FBI agent and shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't hurt too much now." Then, she looked at her watch.

"We still have time." Reid reassured her.

"Yes, sure, like last time, right?" Sebastian said mockingly. The smelly guy reminded Spencer of his schoolmates. He still didn't know how to treat people like him. He could stand in front of an UNSUB with a gun pointed at him, preferably with Morgan or Hotch protecting him, but he still couldn't deal with cocky young men who believed they were better than anybody else.

"So, why isn't your boss calling us?" asked Mr. Malucci.

"They must be studying the case to bring it to an end soon" answered Reid, unwilling to give him too much information.

"Really? As you're an FBI agent," he used his fingers to stress the word agent, "enlighten me in the procedure."

"You just need to know that they're doing everything they can to take us out of here" said Reid, trying to end the conversation.

"Come on, Mr. FBI, tell me what they are doing. Or if you don't know, call them and ask" said Sebastian with a malicious grin in his mouth.

"Oh wait, they're surely sipping their coffee and eating doughnuts like all the cops in movies. You don't want to interrupt them, right?"

"Like you said, that's thought about cops, not FBI agents" uttered Reid, knowing that it would be wrong to provoke this guy, but he couldn't restrain himself from correcting him.

"Don't be a smart ass with me, boy. In here, you're just a helpless little kid" threatened Sebastian giving a step towards Reid.

"Hey, back off, man" said Linda, from her corner.

"Girl, stay out of this. See? You even need a girl to defend you." Sebastian carried on with his verbal attack.

"Please, just remain calm. And stop with this" tried Reid.

"Or what? What can you do to me?" Sebastian's body and his threatening posture got close to the FBI agent.

"Nothing" quietly said Spencer, trying hard to lock his eyes on the smelly guy. Finally, when Sebastian was almost invading Reid's personal space, he couldn't take it any more and lowered his eyes, feeling pathetic.

"Stay away from him!" said a female voice through the intercom.

"Garcia" thought Reid.

"Momma to the rescue" joked Sebastian.

Garcia knew she didn't have the authority to do this, but when she saw the attack on Reid, she was alone in the room and couldn't see that without doing anything about it. She had to defend her baby boy.

Unfortunately Sebastian Malucci wasn't done yet.

"So who's that one out there? Your girl?" asked the smelly guy, signaling the camera with his hand. He was so close to Reid's face that his garlic breath bathed the FBI agent's skin.

"No." Spencer whispered, his eyes alternating between his feet and Sebastian's mocking eyes. "Please, leave me alone."

With a smile of superiority on his lips, Mr. Malucci stepped back. Garcia and Reid, although they were miles apart, sighed in relief. Spencer's tense, almost invisible, muscles started to relax.

But...

"So what do you do for the FBI?" asked Sebastian. Apparently he was determined to have a conversation now.

Reid didn't answer.

"Oh, come on. Do you need daddy's approval?" He tried again. His will to provoke Reid was unrelenting.

"I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit" eventually answered Reid, considering that maybe this guy would finally stop his verbal attack.

"So you can learn what people are like through their behavior? Interesting. Then, what can you say about me?" asked Sebastian, giving a step towards the young doctor again.

"I... I'd rather not do that" Reid gulped.

"Come on, are you afraid of making a mistake?" The smelly guy invaded Spencer's personal space once again.

"Hey, just leave him alone" pleaded Linda.

"Shut up!" yelled Sebastian.

That was it. This was getting out of control. Reid got tired of this stupid attack. He knew he wasn't good at fighting, but he WAS good at profiling.

"You act strong, but in deep inside, you're as scared of this as any of us. By the smell of your clothes, you work in a restaurant. By the creases in them, and the stains, you most probably have been sleeping in those for quite a while too." Reid paused to regain control of his voice and continued: "I could say you came here to deliver some food, but as you didn't go to college you feel threatened by the surroundings and by people you consider are better educated than you. You try to denigrate them using your force, because you're ashamed of your lack of knowledge."

The FBI agent took a deep breath and by the stunned look in Sebastian's face, he knew he had nailed his profile.

"Go Reid!" thought Garcia, completely caught on the situation inside the elevator.

Unfortunately, Sebastian Malucci wouldn't let Reid laugh last.

The stunned look changed into an angry, almost murderous look that sent chills down Spencer's spine.

"I should have stayed quiet" thought Reid, gulping a tense lump in his throat.

"Are you calling me stupid?" menacingly asked Sebastian.

"No... I was... just..." said Reid, stepping back until his back was against the wall.

"You think you're better than me, you little shit?" Fire emanated from the guy's eyes.

All words got stuck in Spencer's mouth, when in a rash movement Sebastian got his hand around Reid's throat and started applying pressure.

"I'll show you stupid, you bastard!" yelled Mr. Malucci, shacking Reid's surprised body, chocking him.

"Don't do that!" screamed Linda.

"Shut up, you bitch!" The guy answered loudly. He saw Reid's thin fingers grabbed his hands in an attempt to stop the now physical attack. It was pointless, the boy didn't have the necessary strength to stop him.

Garcia watched the scene with horrified eyes.

"Stop it! You're killing him! Get away!" she yelled through the intercom. But Sebastian kept yanking and chocking her friend. She saw when Reid's hands stopped fighting, when his previously red face started acquiring a pale tone. His open mouth didn't emit any sound, his eyes showed his fear.

No matter how many times she and Linda begged the guy to stop, he wouldn't listen to them. He was determined to kill Reid. He looked lost in another world, where only the agent and his anger existed.

"No, don't do it!" Garcia kept yelling, with tears rolling down her face.

Then she ran to the door of the room, still watching at the screen.

"No, no, no. Morgan! Hotch! Help! He's killing Reid!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.


So, what do you think? Don't you love when you a chapter ends like this? Hehehe, I know, I'm evil... But I'll start writing now, so you can read the rest soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing! HAVE FUN!