Chapter X Lights, Camera, Action!
"Are you saying that this guy abducted Leila to get you here?" Knox's voice echoed in the silence of the precinct.
"He did demand the BAU's presence didn't he?" Emily asked the detective.
"But why?" Knox asked, mostly to himself.
"That's what we're here to find out." Rossi replied.
"We're obviously missing something major. His stressor, his motive but more importantly, we're missing the connection between the two." Morgan stated.
"You think this is someone Leila knows personally?" Knox asked the agents.
"Most likely." Emily said.
"Eighty-four percent of abductees are taken by people they see on a daily basis. It's easier to take someone when you've had their daily routine embedded in your mind." Reid informed everyone.
"You make it sound like he's obsessed with her or something." Knox cringed.
"Maybe not obsessed with her," Hotch rose from his chair. "But with someone she represents. The truth is we won't know what he's leaning towards until the video feed comes in."
"What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Knox asked.
"We wait." JJ mumbled. An uneasy silence befell the group as they each pondered what Leila Ryan would awake to.
"Agents." A voice called the seven to Knox's partner. "There's a video feed from a Penelope Garcia set up in the conference room. She says it's urgent." Each agent knew what they were about to witness and tried their best to ready themselves as they reentered the conference room. Garcia's ever bright office appeared on the flat screen but the technical analyst's demeanor was anything but pleasant.
"Crime fighters can one of you please explain to me as to why I just received an anonymous video feed that frankly, I am too terrified to open." She demanded.
"Garcia, it's our unsub." Hotch informed the tech. "He's sending us a recording of Leila."
"What kind of recording?" Garcia almost whispered. Ever since Reid's abduction by Tobias Henkel, the BAU grew anxious around cases and video cameras. The two should simply never mix.
"There's only way to find out." Morgan urged her. "Open it Baby Girl." Garcia squirmed in her seat and seemed to flinch away from her computer screen as the agents and Detective Knox saw the cursor move toward the play button. The sight that greeted the group of eight was unfortunately not surprising to anyone but Garcia. Her gasp was audible throughout the room while the rest did their best to refrain from reacting. They weren't sure if the unsub had eyes on them like they did him. The screen revealed a dirty, underground bunker of sorts with a single occupant. A figure dressed in red sweats and a skin-tight black Under Armor long sleeve lay on the ground. Raven colored hair hid the girl's face but there was no doubt in the team's minds: this was Leila Ryan. Her hands were bound behind her back and there was a wet spot on her head, probably from the fall down her stairs. Leila showed no sign of regaining consciousness soon.
"Garcia." Rossi whispered in case the unsub was listening.
"Already on it." She replied, furiously typing away at breathtaking speed. Suddenly, the door in the back of the room opened and a man walked in wearing a ski mask. Despite the attempt to hide his persona, the grin underneath was clearly noticeable. Every agent in the room felt their blood boil at the sight of their unsub. The man stepped over Leila's unconscious body and adjusted the video stand so that only his face and Leila's legs were visible in the frame. His steel grey eyes twinkled as he addressed the team.
"Welcome!" the man's voice was deep and throaty. He spread his arms as if he was inviting them into his home as honored guests. Hotch and Rossi exchanged a glance. Could he see them? The older agents flashed their gazes towards the technical analyst as she tried to pinpoint the feed's location. "Yes, Agents Rossi and Hotchner, I can see you." He chuckled at their obvious surprise. There wasn't even a camera in the room, how was a two-way feed even possible?
"I assume you can also hear us as well." Hotch stated.
"Loud and clear. It's so nice to see you all again." The man was clearly trying to frighten them; something not easily accomplished.
"I seem to be at a disadvantage." Hotch began.
"You are at many disadvantages dear Agent." The man stated.
"You know my name but I do not know yours." Hotch continued and narrowed his eyes as the man began to chuckle again.
"I know more than names." He growled. "Doctor Reid, how is rehabilitation suiting you? David, my condolences for your ex-wife's suicide, what a shame. Aaron, congratulations on catching Foyet, he was after all the epitome of everything evil. The lovely Emily Prentiss," The man inhaled deeply. "I assume you're still in the process of licking your battle wounds? Derek, how's the family in Chi-town? No more gang related issues, I presume? Jennifer, how old is Henry now, five? Looks just like his beautiful momma doesn't he?" He let the information sink in as each agent silently struggled to keep a straight face. Reid had finished rehab months ago, Dave's ex and Foyet had long been buried, the Doyle situation had been resolved almost three years ago and Derek's gang problems had ended before he even joined the BAU. JJ didn't have any closely guarded secrets that he could have exploited so instead he used the only thing he had to rattle her: her son. Clearly, the man had done his homework.
"Since you know so much about us, why don't you tell us a little something about yourself?" Rossi tried.
"That's not how this is going to work Dave." The man in the mask said.
"How what is going to work?" Morgan chimed in and received only a grin in return. By now, everyone in the room had noticed Leila's slight movements in the background. Her legs began to twitch and they had no doubt that she would awaken to a nightmare come to life. The unsub had left the only exit to the room wide open. Maybe if they stalled him, Leila would be able to sneak out while he was consumed with the BAU.
"Why don't you tell us what you're looking for?" Emily asked, making sure to clear the venom that threatened to drip from her voice. "Maybe we can help."
"Oh Emily. There's no need to pretend you can stand me. Feel free to express yourselves in whatever way you desire. It's not like you can change the outcome. And about helping me get what I desire…you will." Annoyed that her attempt to befriend the sociopath had failed, Emily let someone else take the reins.
"You want us to express ourselves?" Hotch's voice boomed. "Then listen and listen well since I'll only be saying this once. Tell us where Leila is and I'll consider not shooting you on sight." The Unit Chief's eyes darkened as he approached the television.
"Now, Aaron." The unusub stepped closer to the frame, cutting off the team's view of Leila. "Is that how you ask for things? By threatening people? Tsk tsk, I see why Hailey left you."
"My wife left me because I make it my personal mission in life to put people like you behind bars and you can guarantee I'll be doing it again and soon." Hotch spat back. The man chuckled again.
"You can tell Penelope to stop tracing this feed. She'll be rerouted to a 4x4 village outside of Shang-Hai." Simultaneously, everyone turned to look at the tech who nodded and slumped in her chair, defeated. "Told you."
"Why don't you just tell us what you want so we can get this over with?" JJ said. Even though she wasn't really a profiler, she could still notice the signs of narcissism and know that inflating his ego would only enrage his desire. The only problem was figuring out exactly what that desire was.
"Somebody's anxious." Another smile. "Tell me, how far are you willing to go to save her?" The man's question seemed to be directed to JJ specifically.
"As far as I have to and if that includes shooting you between the eyes, well then..." JJ responded immediately and shrugged, her once bright blue eyes now clouded.
"You know I've always had a thing for blondes, JJ." The unsub said after a few seconds, his face dead calm. JJ tried her hardest not to glance at Leila who seemed to have finally jarred awake.
"My friends call me JJ. You call me Agent Jareau." Another chuckle emitted the man's lips.
"But Jen, don't you remember? We are friends."
We've got a level 10 creeper, I repeat a level 10.