"This stupid bastard, Hotch we need to get Reid out of there – it seems like the unsub has nothing to lose." Derek Morgan stared frustrated at his boss; their job was to deal with the maddest criminals of their country – feeling helpless was not a part of their job description.
"I know Morgan, but I don't know where to start, we have no hint on Reid's current location or the unsub, but what we have is the profile and I guess after the phone call, we can add some points to it."
"Hotch is right, working on the profile is our priority – the unsub said, he will contact us again and when that happens, we will be prepared." Rossi tried to stay optimistic and rational and that was exactly what they needed, they knew if one of them would break, they all would.
He felt nothing, no pain and no fear – just darkness.
He could hear nothing.
He couldn't see anything, but darkness.
He tried to focus, on leaving the comforting blanket of darkness, that had saved him from the pain of the electroshocks… he remembered the pain – the agony
of the electricity rushing through his body.
Still the unsub would have no idea, that he had helped Reid more, than harmed him. Hearing Sara's voice, Hotch's and Morgan's – gave him power – no physical ,but mental and that was exactly what he needed to get through this, without getting mad.
He decided it was time to open his eyes, regretting it immediately – a pain shot through him, leaving his head throbbing and his whole body drained.
He continued to open his eyes, breathing harsh through the pain, he saw the familiar, grey walls of the basement. It might sound silly, but being at least in the same location gave him a weird kind of comfort. He knew now, that he had opened his eyes, the unsub would visit him soon, but he hoped, that he would be able to contact the team again – they had no lead to where he was and if he wanted to get out of here soon, he would need to help them.
As expected, the unsub entered the basement after what felt like ten minutes, smiling at him with this sickening spark in his eyes. He lifted Spencer's chin with his fingers, so Spencer would look him in the eye, Spencer himself had not enough energy to do so.
"Well there you are again, I was worried about you sleepyhead, I was afraid I broke you after the first round, but I knew you would make it – you just needed some time to get better." He lifted a knife up to his chest and slid his shirt open – Spencer's eyes widened in fear.
"Oh don't worry I will get you some new clothes, but I need you in this appearance for our next level, I know you love this team of yours like a family – not that you had any family to compare them to, but that is your problem not mine, anyway I guess I will make you suffer most if I make them suffer as well."
"Leave them alone!" Reid couldn't control his voice, he knew this unsub could harm them if he wanted to, he knew how to work with bombs, it would be easy for him to plant some bomb under one of his team members cars.
"Oh shush, I won't harm them physically, that is just a gift for you, Doctor. But you sounding pathetic and destroyed will do them more harm than good. So our next level will contain another phone call and some more pain, but being my gracious self – I will give you the chance to help your team to find you –this wouldn't be a game if you had no chance to win.
The rules are simple: you will call someone I choose, but don't worry your whole team will be present, but it is you only allowed to speak to the person I choose, but I allow, that the others will at least hear you – is this clear?" he looked at Reid curious, knowing that he would understand.
Reid nodded, he did understand, but he wasn't quite sure, why it was such a big deal for the unsub, that he was only allowed to talk to one person, if the others could hear him, it wouldn't matter anyway.
"Great, so apart from that, you will be able to give them a clue, but you have to earn it. During the phone call I will carve some letters in your back and all letters combined will be a hint for your team – but you need to get through the end or the hint will be lost – I assume you understand the rules."
"I do." Reid understood the rules, but he really hoped this wouldn't be a hint with too many letters.
"I knew you would, but it is more politely to ask anyway. So I guess, I need to make a little phone call before we start to play, I need to arrange everything."
He waved at Reid friendly, before the door to the basement shut again, leaving Reid alone with his thoughts.
The team had worked on the profile, they had added everything they could figure out about the unsub.
Now they were only able, to wait for the next time the unsub would contact them. Hotch had forced them to eat something, Emily tried to wake JJ up, who had fallen asleep on some files.
They were all exhausted of working none stop, but they felt guilty admitting it, because they were sure, their exhaustion was nothing against what Reid was going through.
Sara nipped on some water ignoring the sandwich in front of her. She felt so horrible, guessing what Spencer experienced right now, she had spent a lot of time with him over the last months, visiting him in the hospital and meeting him whenever they could.
He was a very special person, this combination of a caring, intelligent man with a brave and strong part, you would never guess, was a part of him. Sara could understand, that Audrey admired him, whenever they met, Audrey wouldn't leave his side, she took in every word he said and loved to play with him. His smile when he played with her or just laid in the grass in the park – this spark in his eyes when he was excited about something – she had never met a man like him.
"-ara, Sara!" she lifted her head up to meet Morgan's gaze, he could see a content little smile on her face, covered from the still present worry in her eyes.
"Sorry Morgan, I was buried in some thoughts, what did you say?" she blushed a little, at her habit to get carried away all the time.
"Oh nothing important, I just wanted to know, who we can thank for that dreamy smile of yours." For some seconds she felt guilty, for smiling in a situation like this, but then she thought how alone the thought of Spencer could comfort her.
"It's nothing I just remembered something, …" a knowing smirk of Morgan told her, that he knew exactly what or more precise who, she had remembered.
"Umm I'm sure it was a pleasant memory." His smile grew until something hit his head, some paper actually – Garcia had thrown a paper at his head.
"Uh what was that for?" Morgan frowned jokingly.
"For embarrassing my lovely genius' lady, with your annoying self." Garcia had entered the office with a smirk on her face, kissing Morgan's forhead.
He pouted being interrupted by Sara's phone ringing, the team stopped to look at her. Morgan signaled her to put the phone on speaker, so they could listen as well, if it was the unsub, who contacted them again through her phone.
"Hello." Her voice trembled more, than she wanted.
"Hello my beautiful lady, I wanted to tell you and the others, the rules for the next game – Spencer will contact you again in forty minutes, until then it is your task to get your lovely daughter to your current location and then she will be the only one allowed to talk to Spencer.
You will be allowed to listen, but nothing else.
Spencer will get a hint, but he has to earn it.
He will get letters carved in his back and in the end, I will tell him the letters. They will be your hint. I know that Audrey is a little young to understand all of this and I know that our precious doctor is way too protective of her, to let her know that he is in pain. So this will be a lot of fun, to see how Spencer tries to hide his pain just for the sake of your daughter. I'm sorry that she has to be involved, this is not about her, but I need her to break him. "
They had no time to answer, because the unsub hung up, before they could react.
"I can't stand this sadistic garbage." Morgan had punched a wall behind him, scaring Sara, who was not used to this side of Morgan.
Morgan could sense her fear and changed his behavior immediately.
"Sorry Sara, I just hate this." He stroked his hand over her shoulder in a comforting way, she relaxed under the gesture.
"It's alright I feel the same and I hate that he even involves Audrey and I'm afraid he is right, he will never let her know, that he is in any form of pain during the phone call…why must he be so selfless…why can't he for once think about himself?" Sara switched between sobbing and being angry, she just hated, that Spencer would get hurt again, the anger took control of her. The others were used to this, not exactly the kidnapping of a colleague, but they were used to this kind of people. People who wanted to hurt others, for stupid reasons.
"He has no reason to care about Audrey this much…about us! Why does he even care at all? I know it is his job, but his obligations doesn't include something like his, why can't he just stop caring about every person on this planet this much,…-" before she could continue her outburst, she was stopped by the team.
"That's who he is."
"Rossi is right, he would never think about himself before anyone else is safe."
"Spence, always puts himself last." JJ looked at the table deep in thought.
"And don't you ever think that you don't deserve this sweetie. He cares about you and Audrey." Garcia snipped Sara against her head.
"People who don't know him, would never guess how much of an protective alpha male he can become." Hotch winked at her.
"And he is especially protective of you and your little one, everything he talks about is you, how you smile, how much fun he had and how funny you are. Since he spent time with you he has this spark in his eyes, we could all see it." Morgan now knelt in front of her, holding her face in his hands, so she had to look him in the eye.
"Don't you every forget that." She smiled at him and she felt so happy at their words, she never knew she had such a positive impact on Spencer's life.
"Thanks guys, I just don't want him to be hurt, he tries to be brave for us all the time. How can he be so strong?"
He was so weak, he shivered at the thought of what would happen during the next game, he was exhausted and now some blood loss would be added to it. Exactly what he needed…. but he motivated himself by thinking of the hint and how his team would find him soon, they would never disappoint him. With this thought stored in his mind, he prepared himself for the next level.
Thanks so much for your feedback, I hope you are all happy that I made it, to update during the week.
Let me know if you like where this is going or if I should change anything, I want you to enjoy reading the story as much as possible.
Have a nice week (:
I don't own Criminal Minds
