Disclaimer: I don't own the wonder characters that belong in the Criminal Minds world.
Thanks for all the reviews and adds! I really appreciate them. Only one more chapter to go.
Once Morgan got to the hotel and finally crashed on the bed he was only able to swing four hours of sleep. While he had really wanted to get straight to work on searching for his friend he knew that the police chief probably wouldn't be in until the morning. He decided to get as much shut-eye as possible since he didn't see much sleep in his future this weekend.
Morgan took a shower after he got out of bed at six-thirty. He wanted to be down at the police station by seven in order to get a jump start on the day. He got himself together after the shower and picked up his phone to dial his favorite techie.
"Good morning?" questioned the obviously drowsy Garcia.
"Good morning Starshine," Morgan replied. "I just wanted to make sure you were up and on call if I need any help today."
"Ahhh…of course I'm ready to answer your call whenever you need me, darling," Garcia quipped while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "How could I say no to helping you find my Junior G-man?"
"Thanks wonderful. I know Reid would appreciate it too."
"Just one thing though Derek, can you try to bring him home soon? Oh, and healthy too!" Garcia asked with a hint of tears in her voice.
"I plan on it baby girl," Morgan said. "Love ya."
"Be safe," Garcia responded before she hung up the phone.
Morgan hurried out to his car and was able to make it to the station by seven. He walked in and immediately asked for Police Chief Hansom. He glanced around the police station hoping to find some trace of the investigation to find Reid. Since the BAU had been pulled away on other cases the local police took lead on the search. Morgan wanted to read through the progress that they had made and see if he could spot any new leads.
"Agent Morgan, it's nice to see you again. I want you to know that we have been working on your missing agent's case day and night. Unfortunately, we seemed to have hit a dead end. There really haven't been any developments since ya'll pulled out. Now I know I told you all this over the phone, but if you really think dredging through all this stuff again might help, well then go nuts. My officers are around if you need any assistance or clarification," Chief Hansom said as he lead Morgan to the room that held all of materials concerning Reid.
"It doesn't hurt to keep looking Chief. I know there has got to be something we're all missing."
"Well, what do you plan on doing first?" the chief asked.
"I was thinking about going around to the people we interviewed right after he went missing. I want to see if they can remember anything else that may be of significance," Morgan explained as he rifled through some of the materials laid out on the desk.
"Well, that might prove to be quite difficult today," Chief Hansom said.
"Yeah, why is that?"
"Well the local church decided to throw a bazaar to entice the neighboring communities to come and see what Kennebunk has to offer. Pretty much everyone in the city will be there at some point today, and many of them have their own booths set up to sell local handmade goods," Chief Hansom informed Morgan.
"Okay, well perhaps I'll go down to the bazaar and take a look around. Who knows what I might find…" Morgan trailed off as he left the station after getting directions from the desk clerk.
After Jackie's announcement Reid's mind went a mile a minute thinking of how he was going to save himself. He concocted an escape plan and jumping Jackie as she let him out of bed for the morning was not part of it. He knew that there was no way that he could take her down in the state that he was in. His best chance was to get her to change his location in the house and look around at what was available.
Somehow he was able to get Jackie to let him spend the day in the living room. She acquiesced to his request and went to prepare the room while he was in the shower.
"Now don't think that because today is possibly your last day that I will relax the rules. You still need to wear the shock collar and you will be tethered to the staircase banister. I have removed anything that you could possibly use as a weapon and unplugged the house phone. I suggest you just sit back on the couch and enjoy the television or a book from the bookshelf," Jackie said as she pointed the gun at Reid as she signaled to him to come out of the bathroom.
She threw the shock collar at him and said, "Put it on. Make sure it locks. If you pull any tricks I'm going to shoot you, baby or no baby."
Reid knew that Jackie had the upper hand right now, but he needed to act compliant and weak in order to make sure she kept her guard down. He complied with her request and cringed a little when he heard the lock fasten securely.
"Alright, now get in front of me and walk downstairs. When you reach the bottom the tether is already connected to the bannister, you just need to fasten it to your leg of choice."
Ever diligent to maintain control Jackie never let her aim leave a vulnerable place on his body while he was fastening his leg to the bannister. Once he had secured the tether around his right ankle, Jackie scooted her way completely down the stairs while keeping her gun trained on him.
"Alright, well you just enjoy your day here. I am locking the door from the outside, so don't bother trying to open it. Also, I left you a bottle of water and a sandwich on the coffee table. Enjoy your last meal," she teased. "I can't wait to get home tonight to let you know the news! Don't worry sweetie, if I am pregnant I'll make sure your death is swift. I couldn't let the father of my child suffer," Jackie said ironically.
Reid scoffed at her last words but kept his mouth shut. He sat on the couch until he heard the car pull away from the house. Once he was sure she was off the property he went to work looking for something to use as a weapon. He also tested the length of the tether to figure out his boundaries. His paper thin plan was beginning to rip apart. There really wasn't anything down here that would help him. The remote control wasn't big enough to knock her out, she removed all the lamps from the room, and there were no decorations that would be blunt enough to cause any pain.
Just when he was about to give up he walked over to the staircase and tested the bannister. It was unyielding, but the subsequent posts were a bit loose. Reid knew that if he could get one of them free from the railings he had a fighting chance to take her by surprise when she got home. A bar over the head wouldn't kill her but it could possibly knock her down, or better yet, out. He set to work on it with fervor, knowing that his life depended one of them coming loose.
Morgan strolled around the bazaar and observed all of its patrons. He was amazed at how many streets the city shut down to dedicate to the festival. He had already walked two blocks of stalls and booths when he spotted a homemade lemonade stand. He knew he had a job to do, but couldn't resist stopping to get one. I took him back to his childhood when every summer he would visit his grandma and she would make him fresh squeezed lemonade with lots of sugar. Smiling at the memory he inserted himself at the end of the line.
While standing in line Morgan looked around at a few of the booths he had already passed. He noticed a couple arguing a few booths over. They seemed to be squabbling about carrying a large bulky object to their car. He could tell the wife was pissed that her husband purchased something so large. "How do you plan on fitting that eyesore in the car? We own a Cobalt for goodness sakes!" he heard her screech.
"Sweetie, I told you I would figure it out. Trust me! Anyways, it's not an eyesore. It will look great in our front garden. Can't you picture it?" the husband countered back.
"No, I can't. I should have never left you alone to shop. Just look what you got us into."
Morgan chuckled at their little domestic argument and felt bad for the husband having to listen to his complaining wife. It was after that chuckle that Morgan looked closer at the object they were dragging around. He noticed it was a large piece of wood shaped in the form of a person. He stepped out of line to get a better look.
Suddenly he flashed back to a few months ago when Hotch and he had pulled into the driveway of a strange woman. She had two of similar statues outside of her house too. He remembered that the woman seemed a bit off, but Garcia had checked her out and found nothing. She ended up being just another dead end on their seemingly eternal search.
Snapping out of his flashback Morgan stepped closer and closer to the couple. The wooden sculpture looked familiar. He knew he had seen that pose before, if Reid were here he would know exactly what it was. But it wasn't the pose that was captivating Morgan, it was the physical appearance of the man etched in wood. Could it be?
Noticing a large man approaching them, the couple's argument tapered off. "Can we help you?" the husband inquired.
Morgan just held up his hand to shush the couple and got right down next to the sculpture. "No fucking way," he mumbled under his breath as his fingers traced the face. The sharp angles of the jaw line, the large eyes and the goofy ear length curly hair were too close to home to be considered coincidences.
"Sir?"
Ignoring them Morgan took out his phone and snapped a picture of the sculpture and sent it off to Hotch. "Who does this look like?" Morgan texted him.
He straightened up and finally gave the couple some attention. "Where did you buy this statue? What booth was it at?"
"You like it? I'll sell it to you for fifty dollars," the wife piped up.
"No honey! I really had envisioned this as being part of our landscape," the husband argued.
"Enough!" Morgan shouted as he pulled out his I.D. "I need to know where you bought this and I need to know now!"
Startled out of their argument the husband answered, "Next block over at the end of the bazaar. It's a booth by a local woman…Jackie I think her name was." He pointed toward the direction that Morgan needed to follow.
A shudder ran through Morgan at the mention of her name. Wasn't the strange woman they interviewed name Jacqueline? Could it be the same woman?
Morgan raced away from the couple leaving them staring after him. He ran all the way to the next block where he stopped to pick up his phone.
"Morgan."
"It's Hotch. Where did you find that? Is he there? What's going on?" Hotch quickly questioned.
"I don't know what's going on Hotch, but I think that woman that we got a strange feeling from last time is behind all this. The people that bought the sculpture said they bought it from a local woman named Jackie. I am on my way to check out the booth to see if it's Jacqueline. If it is, man, I am heading back out to her house while she is still tied up here," Morgan explained just as quickly.
"No. Morgan if it is the same woman we can't mess up this takedown. Call me once you confirm whether or not it's her. I'm going to have Garcia look deeper into this woman's past and see if anything sticks out. The rest of us will join you if it turns out to be the same woman."
"Hotch, I won't just sit here and wait on you guys. I have to get to Reid as soon as possible," Morgan said exasperated.
"Fine, if it is her, get some backup from the local force and go check out her place. You may not enter unless you have probable cause. Look around but don't touch. If you see any sign of Reid proceed as necessary. Remember, once you confirm your suspicions let me know so the rest of us can get there as soon as possible."
While Hotch was talking, Morgan stalked closer and closer to the end of the bazaar. He could see some large wooden sculptures taking up space in the last booth. He tried to stay hidden from the sight of the booth's owner. If it was Jackie, he didn't want to tip her off that he was back in town. With baited breath and Hotch rambling in his ear he finally caught sight of the woman.
"It's her, Hotch."
Jackie saw him. She knew that was one of the detectives that came around her house a couple of days after she took her muse. He looked like he was lurking in the shadows trying to remain concealed from her sight. She could tell that his eyes were only on her booth. She could feel them piercing into her back as she turned to help a customer.
A flutter of panic flitted through her body. Were they on to her? All of a sudden, she felt the need to get home as soon as possible. She couldn't chance the FBI finding her muse chained up in her house.
"Gabe, could you watch my stand for a bit. I need to go home and pick up a few more sculptures. I'll be back as soon as possible," she said as she tried to make her escape as quietly as possible.
Reid successfully finagled the post loose after a couple of hours of work. He felt slightly satisfied with himself. He knew his chances of using this as a meaningful weapon were low, but he had to try. He decided to crouch behind the door and wait for Jackie to open it when she came home. Of course, he was putting his faith in the fact that she would use the front door and not the back.
He knew he needed to do enough damage to knock Jackie down. Reid had to get the key to the tether from her. She always kept the keys in her pockets ready to be used at a moment's notice. He also wanted to get the controller for the collar away from her.
As soon as he heard tires crunching down the driveway he stooped behind the door and held his breath.
Jackie broke almost every traffic law on her way back to the house. She kept an eye out for any vehicles that might be following her, but didn't see any. She planned on taking Spencer out as soon as she walked in the door.
She tore up the driveway and hopped out of the truck. She ran to the barn and grabbed the adz. She was going to shock him on level seven to knock him out. Then she planned on dragging him out into the woods and disposing of him there. She would have to clean up the guest bedroom before she went back to the bazaar, just in case.
While going over her plan meticulously in her head, Jackie made her way to the front door and inserted the key.
Spencer waited for the door to creak open and immediately raised his post in preparation. He was in the process of bringing it down when an electrical shock coursed through his body. He tried to not let it deter him but he knew the strength behind his swing was significantly weaker.
He succeeded in hitting Jackie right in the face. She let out a screech of surprise and pain when the post made contact with her nose, no doubt breaking it. Not one to wait, Reid brought the post down again on the back of her head. Jackie collapsed onto the floor in front of the door, seemingly knocked out.
Reid cautiously crouched down by her motionless body. He could tell that she was still breathing, knowing that he wasn't nearly strong enough to kill her with his blows. He searched through her pockets as gently as possible, not wanting to jostle her awake.
Success! He found the key and made his way over to the bannister. Out of nowhere he was tackled down to onto the floor. Jackie smashed her fist into the side of his head trying to succeed where he had failed with her.
Somehow Reid ended up on his back with Jackie straddling his waist. Flashbacks of his assault zoomed through his brain. He began to fight with all his strength to push her off. He kicked out his legs and pushed with his arms. Unfortunately, the months of inactivity really made a difference in this fight. If he was at his normal strength he probably could have taken a woman of Jackie's size.
"Spencer, I didn't think you had it in you," Jackie said breathlessly as she reached behind her to pick up an object off the floor.
"Get off of me!" he shouted as he continued his struggles.
"Come now Spencer, you knew this was going to happen. Can you guess the results of the test based on your current predicament?" she taunted him.
He froze as the implication of her question overtook his brain. "You are pregnant."
She just smiled and raised the adz high above her head.
Reid closed his eyes, wishing Jackie's visage wasn't the last thing he was going to see. Memories of his friends and family flashed through his mind. He really thought he was going to get free. He had fought and lost. Hopefully the team will be able to avenge his death and put Jackie behind bars. Maybe one of them would take care of his future child too.
Out of nowhere a shot rang out through the room. Reid felt the weight on his waist fall off of him. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter thinking that Jackie had just missed her shot.
"Reid? Reid! Open your eyes! It's me, Morgan. Come on Pretty Boy let me know you're alright," he heard his friend pleading.
"Is it possible?" Reid thought.
Reid took a chance and pried his eyes open hoping that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Overtaking his vision was the most wonderful thing he could imagine, his best friend Morgan.
"You found me…" Reid whispered.
"Yeah, I finally found you. Are you hurt?" Morgan asked as he helped Reid sit up off the floor.
"No…well, maybe a little," Reid forced out as he looked over to see what happened to Jackie. She was being loaded onto a board by the EMS team. "Is she dead?"
"What? Ah, no…I think the shot went through her lower back and into her abdomen. She should pull through if the doctors get to her in time. Man, it scared the crap out of me when I came in and saw her holding that hammer thing over her head," Morgan said.
"Her abdomen…." Reid's eyes went wide.
"Yeah, I think," Morgan said clearly confused. "Why does it matter? You're safe. She won't be hurting you again."
"The baby…" was all Reid murmured in response.
