Please note: This chapter rated M
The Armory, Pt 2
Here
Peter was standing in the editing room with Rossi and Hotch, looking at one of the videos. "No. What we're doing with Kerri is bad enough. We're not doing this one."
The two agents looked at each other. Rossi spoke up, "We don't know if this guy is the last one in the chain or not, and he's done that with every victim. Not having may make the difference here. I know it's asking a lot, but isn't there anyone…?"
"No. I double checked our files, that's a hard limit for every performer who works with us. And it would have greater repercussions. I'm sorry."
Hotch took a deep breath. "Garcia, have you been able to confirm, we haven't seen Gwendolyn Reid in any of this type of video before?"
Garcia had come out to help with the editing, and to be sure the videos were posted in the same way as the previous one, so as not to add suspicion. "No, she hasn't. And may I ad thank god for that. Like the poor thing hasn't had enough humiliation already"
"So we should be fine without it, if we can catch up to her." Hotch nodded to Peter and Rossi, but spoke to Garcia. "And agreed."
- -
JJ came out of one of the studios to find Reid sitting on some stairs, a cup of coffee cooling in his hands, looking off into nothing. He didn't look any different than normal, she realized, but something told her he was a wreck. She had next to him, nudged him a little. "Want to talk?"
"She's been in videos like this, hasn't she? You guys just haven't been showing them to me." JJ hesitated, then nodded. "The thing is, everyone here is so kind to each other, so careful and respectful. These women feel stronger after, important, cared for, even loved. But, if she's going through this for real, then it might be just the opposite for her. I mean, all of this is just physical, it's wounds, it's injury, it will heal. The physical thing doesn't matter to me, I just want her alive and healthy. I want her back the way she was, and…."
"Spense, she's not going to be back the way she was. There's no way she could go through something like this and not be scarred mental and emotionally. She can still heal from all that, be happy and well-adjusted, and a part of your life, but it just won't be like it was."
Reid sighed. "I know that, I do, I just…I miss her, I guess. I miss the girl I grew up with. My 'high school sweetheart' if you will. I want her back."
JJ wrapped her arm in and around his. "You never really mourned her loss did you? You might want to think of that because even if we do find her alive, Spenser, your high school sweetheart is never coming back. I'm sorry. But I firmly believe that we are going to find that strong, resilient, young woman out there. Now it's going to take time for her to heal, time and patience and a lot of listening, but when she find out who she is after all this, she is going to be the most amazing woman you ever met. And she already loves you more than anything. I just know you're going to love her too."
"Even while I say good-by to the girl?" His voice was breaking as he tried to take it all in.
We forget how young he is, JJ thought as she pulled him in tight. "Yea, even while you say good-by to the girl."
- -
"Sir." Garcia stepped out of the network room at the armory, and over to where Hotch was using a folding table as a desk. "They just uploaded another video. The unsub I mean. I tracked it back to another cyber café." She was clearly upset, pale and no where close to her usual bubbly self. "It's Gwen, sir, I think. She never opened her eyes. It's…one of those videos, Sir."
Hotch sighed. "Hopefully that means she's still alive. Just..don't tell Reid." Garcia nodded as she slipped away.
- -
Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, Hotch and SA Keri Southwood were gathered in the lowest level of the building. A set had been assembled there to match one of the videos, the one that appeared to be a warehouse of some sort. This was where they would film the most dangerous of the videos. The one with the hoses
For three days the studio techs had been pointing high pressure hoses at human figures made of ballistic gel, something Peter had obtained from a friend of his who worked at another studio in the area. They had been adjusting the pressure to mimic the way the pressure of the unsub's hoses had affected the women in the videos. Since the pressure was considerably higher than the studio usually used, and there was a chance of actual injury, none of the resident actresses were going to be acting as the victim. Thankfully, an agent from the local bureau office was willing to take the risk.
She was sitting on the set, carefully wrapped in a towel, being laced into something the crew called an 'armbinder'. A black leather sheath that trapped both her arms behind her, and could be tightened until her elbows touched. A position, they noticed, that made one even more vulnerable than ordinary handcuffs.
"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to suck." Keri was new to the bureau, and looked a number of years younger than her career path would indicate.
"You can always back out, you know. We may be able to get away without these videos." Hotch was not thrilled with risking any injury on this project, at all.
"No, you may need it. Besides, I expect to be remember for this, when you have an opening at the BAU."
The film crew came over and said they were ready. The BAU team settled well out of the way, next to Dr. Matsuda, a pleasant woman who had checked Keri over thoroughly, at Peter's insistence. Hotch turned to her for reassurance. "You're sure she's ready for this, Doctor?"
"Yes." The Doctor replied. "There's a risk of bruised or cracked ribs with this, we wanted to be sure there were no underlying conditions that could be exacerbated by this stunt. But her heart is strong and her lungs are clear, she should be fine. Oh, and after reviewing those videos I have a list of injures to be prepared to deal with on your victim."
Hotch murmured his thanks and JJ and Reid joined the rest of the team, just as Keri was being placed with her back in the corner of the 'warehouse', and her towel was removed. Everyone held their breath.
At the call of "Action!" The team turned on the hose, striking her full in the torso with a blast of water. She screamed, tried to turn, but the angles of the corner made it impossible. Without her arms to protect herself she was helpless to do anything but stand there and be battered by the ice cold spray until her feet slipped out from under her and she went down. Just as the unub had, the crew used this to make sure they soaked and pummeled every part of her body as she screamed and cried.
After the same rough amount of time the unsub had tortured his victims the director yelled "Cut!" The hose was shut off and everyone rushed over to help her to a chair, wrapped her in warmed towels, free her arms, and generally just hold her until she could catch her breath and calm down. Her skin had stayed pale with the chill of the water, but now that it was off mottled red bruising was beginning to appear everywhere.
Doctor Matsuda came over and gently looked over her ribs. A few pokes gained her another cry and a closer look. "Well, you have a few bruised ribs, but I don't think you broke any."
"Go to the ER and be checked out, just to be sure. That's an order." Hotch was firm, but it wasn't needed, Keri was glad to go. As Morgan and Prentiss gently helped her to the dressing room, Reid stood there, looking at the empty set as if he could still hear Keri screaming. JJ came over, and held him.
Nowhere
She was slumped in the corner.
Soaking.
Freezing.
Shaking.
Tired.
Coughing.
Bones rattling.
Things tearing loose deep inside
The sensation of being pulled.
Dragged.
Cold, wet metal.
Edges that scraped skin.
Coughing.
The sound of the door being opened.
Falling.
Landing hard.
The door closing above her.
Coughing.
She was tired.
So very tired.