Chapter 9

Morgan's foot was really playing up, so Prentiss drove. She drove fast, carving up drivers, swearing under her breath.

No one complained.

No one spoke.

It took thirty two minutes to reach the factory.

She parked outside the building, and the four of them got out.

"There are multiple entrances. JJ, Prentiss, you go round that way." Morgan pointed round to the right. "Garcia and I will go this way. Find the way in that our Unsubs used. Don't go in. We all go in together."

Morgan was well aware that it was likely to be bodies they would find. It was unlikely that they would have been left alive.

He gripped his gun, and led Garcia round the other way.

Morgan looked for tyre marks, but the rain had been hard, and the mud hadn't held any marks.

Ahead there were some concrete steps leading up to an open door. He bent and looked at the steps.

"Hey, Garcia. I think we have something here."

Garcia stared down at the blood on the steps. It was washed by the rain, but still visible. She called Prentiss.

"This was where they were taken in." said Morgan. He looked up the steps through the door, but it was dark.

JJ and Prentiss came round the corner at a run.

"Right, we go in." said Morgan. "It doesn't look as if anyone is here, but keep alert."

They followed Morgan up the steps, carefully avoiding the blood.

They spread out on what once was the factory workshop. Morgan followed the trail of blood. It was more noticeable in here, and the footprints of the UnSubs crossed the trail.

The blood led them to an open door.

There were no windows in the little room. JJ shone her flashlight. There was a lot of blood in here. Smears on the floor and walls, pools of blood in two of the corners.

"They were held here." said Prentiss, bending to pick up some cut pieces of rope. "They were restrained."

Garcia was trying hard not to panic. "Where are they now? Are they still here, or have they been moved?"

"We search every room, every closet. If they're here, we'll find them." Morgan kicked the door angrily, and went to the next door.

There was nothing in the next two rooms they checked.

The third had a bed against the wall. Garcia and JJ approached it apprehensively.

The head end of the bed was soaked in blood. Further down, there was more blood and stains. JJ's hand went to her face, Garcia turned away, feeling sick and frightened.

"Derek," she called. "You need to see this."

Morgan came and stood by her.

"Son of a bitch!" His eyes blazed with rage when he saw the bed. His fist tightened on the gun.

JJ and Garcia climbed the flight of metal stairs to the next floor. They could see blood on each tread, and what looked like skin traces.

"Someone's been dragged up here." said JJ her voice shaking.

Garcia was crying. There was blood everywhere. She desperately needed to find them. She couldn't get Spencer's sweet face out of her mind. But she was so afraid of what they would find.

The first room they checked was where Aaron had first seen his brother. There was blood on the floor around what looked like scrape marks where a chair had been. There was a table with small metal objects on. Some of them had blood on them. Garcia picked one up.

"What are these?"

JJ stood up from examining a pool of blood. "It's a Head Crusher."

"Oh my god!" Garcia dropped it on the table. It knocked another thing onto the floor. Garcia didn't want to touch it. She looked at JJ. JJ picked it up.

"Oh Spence! Hotch!" sobbed. Garcia. JJ put an arm around her.

"Come on, Pen. We have to find them."

It was then that they heard gunfire.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Morgan and Prentiss were still checking the rooms downstairs. Most of them were empty. A couple had some antiquated computer hardware or a desk in them. Once they would have been offices or store rooms. It didn't look as if the UnSubs had used them though.

The door at the end was different. It was a double door, and was marked as if fork lift trucks had pushed through them.

Morgan pushed open the door.

The first thing he saw was the rats. They were thick on the ground, and climbing over a pile of something in the middle of the room. There was what looked like a body in a chair; rats swarming over it. There were also chains hanging from the ceiling. And there was something hanging from the chains. The rats were on the chains and climbing over whatever was hanging there.

It was then he saw the hand.

Aaron's hand, stretched out, palm up.

"Get the hell off!" he screamed, shooting at the rats. A few exploded in gouts of flesh and fur. He kicked them off Aaron, pulling at them with his bare hands.

"Get in here! Help! Quickly!"

Prentiss ran into the workroom. She faltered for just a split second, and ran to the chains. She tore the rats off Spencer, pulling them off his hair and face, throwing them across the room. JJ found a metal pole, and began beating at the ones on the chair, smashing them to pieces. Garcia ripped them off Spencer, screaming as she did so.

She put her arms around him, and took his weight. He felt so cold, his head resting on her shoulder. She was shaking with anxiety and fear.

She held him with one arm, and pulled at the duct tape on his wrist with the other. Prentiss began untying the other wrist.

When at last his wrists were free, they slowly lowered his arms to his sides. Garcia took him in her arms.

"Emily, help me off with me coat!"

Prentiss took her coat and lay it on the floor. Carefully, Garcia lowered him onto it. She kept her arms around him. She couldn't let go.

The man on the chair was dead. JJ left him and used the pole to hit at the ones still on Aaron

Morgan and JJ had finally got the rats off Aaron. Morgan felt for a pulse in his neck.

"Still alive." He breathed. He turned him over. "Looks like two GSW, and one exit wound in his back."

He had rat bites on his hands and face. Morgan was sickened.

He wished the men who did this were not dead, because he wanted to kill them himself. He felt cheated. He removed his jacket and covered him. Then he went to where Garcia was clinging onto Spence, crying into his hair.

"Baby Girl, let me check him." Morgan helped her to her feet, and bent down next to him.

"He's got a pulse." He said. "Is there any cell signal in here?"

"No, not in here." said Prentiss. "I'll go check outside."

Morgan continued checking Reid. "Stab wound to the top of his shoulder, he's been beaten." He carefully undid the knotted sleeves of Aaron's jacket, and lifted it, making sure that only he could see. He saw the blood and bruises. He rubbed his hand over his head.

"Oh no!" He covered him back up and re-tied the sleeves.

Prentiss came back in. "No signal. We will have to take them in the SUV."

Ok, go and get blankets or anything we can wrap around them. They are both really cold."

JJ and Prentiss ran out to the SUV.

Morgan stood up and let Garcia back with Reid, and he returned to Hotch. He lifted his head onto his lap. He stroked Aaron's hair. "We're here, Aaron. It's going to be ok."

Aarons hand moved slightly. Although his eyes remained closed, he was trying to say something. Morgan put his ear close to Aaron's lips.

"Spence……?"

It was hardly more than a whisper. Morgan glanced over at Reid. It didn't look good.

"Don't worry, Hotch. We're getting you to hospital."

Prentiss and JJ came in with some blankets. Garcia took one and carefully wrapped it around Spencer. She pushed his hair from his face, and touched his bruised and cut face. She noticed rat bites on his face and body, and on his fingers. She lifted his hands to her lips and kissed them. She kissed his face gently, and with JJ's help, they carried him out to the car.

Morgan carried Aaron.

Garcia sat in the back, holding Spence on her lap, Aaron was next to JJ. She put her arm around him, drew him to her. Morgan sat in the front next to Prentiss.

They drove away from the factory towards town.